What role does social media play in the perception we have on athletes

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The Role Social Media Plays in the Perception we Have on Athletes
Introduction
Social sites platforms play a very important role in the perception we do have on athletes. This is because it helps to spread cognitive dissonance by connecting the athletes with ordinary citizens in the different types of social media groups. Social media is composed of more than half the world population who use the different sites in the social media. The most popular sites of socialization are Facebook, Twitter, Tagged, and many more other sites. Therefore, this paper shall generate significant insight into the role of social media in influencing our perception to athletes. The use of social media by athletes can have both positive impacts on the athletes or produce negative implications. Therefore, athletes should be careful about what they post on social media, the friends that they interact with and the comments that they make in other people’s posts (Snyder et al.). The objectives of this paper are to identify the use of athlete endorsement within the business to enhance a product through the application of social media. On the same note, the paper shall make us understand the current literature on the application of social sites and how it changes our perception to both the local athletes and international athletes.
The role of Social Media in Influencing Our Perception on Athletes
Social media plays crucial roles on how we do perceive athletes. It has made us perceive the athletes as self-driven people so as to improve their day to day exercises.

The members of different social media sites perceive that athletes are not satisfied with the performance that they had in their past games (Snyder et al.). On the same note, the social media users have labeled athletes to be disciplined people who need to take up instructions of strict exercises and to maintain their eating habits. Therefore, this has made the members of the society in the different nations to emulate the lives that they perceive the athletes hold. Consequently, the social media platforms have played a significant role in building self-discipline of the potential members who can take after the current athletes in the world. Social media sites have also played a role in making us perceive the athletes as people who are self-confident. The followers, friends, and fans of the athletes claim that those whom they support have confidence in themselves, and they do believe in their abilities that they can be champions in each campaign (Kariou et al.). Therefore, this has boosted the confidence of the athletes when encountering difficulties during their campaign to be champions. Also, the perception that for one to be a champion, he has to be very confident has helped those aspiring to be athletes in future times to emulate the attribute of confidence.
The posts and shares that the world athletes put on social media sites have made us perceive them to be aggressive people. Most users of the social media sites view the athletes as those who make their moves since it is not easy for them to apply other athletes’ slogans. On the same note, the users of social media perceive the athletes as people who are committed since they are viewed as people who are committed to their sporting activities. The shares and posts of the athletes in social media platforms do suggest that they do give up their hobbies and interests for the purpose of allocating more time to their athletic activities (Sanderson, Browning & Schmittel). Therefore, this gives a narrative to the members of the social media who aspire to join athletic activities that they need to give up their hobbies and interests for them to be successful in the athletic industry.
Social sites play a significant part in making us perceive that athletes are good time managers. The posts and shares in the different social sites suggest that athletes do manage their time well since they are obligated to practice for several hours in a single day. Also, the users of social sites perceive athletes to have a high tolerance for pain. This conclusion comes from the perception that the athletes do push their bodies to their limits. This is usually shown I the different posts and shares in the social platforms (Hauer). Social media plays an important role in making us perceive athletes as people who have emotional stability. The users of social media say that the athletes cannot let themselves be nervous or depressed when they are carrying out their sporting activities.
The use of social media makes the view youth athletes as future role models. The juniors in the society who do use social media sites do get encouraged to work hard through viewing the achievements of the athletes. The young in the society who follow the athletes in Twitter and are friends in Facebook are inspired to work hard so as to be successful like the athletes (Sanvenero). Therefore, this helps to create a society full of talents. The juniors will gain many skills through reading through the posts on the best methods to do exercises and the most important ways to follow for one to win a match. In the long run, this shall be very important to speeding economic developments of the countries and nations that have nurtured their young men to be future athletes (Sanderson, Browning & Schmittel). Therefore, this will solve the economic problems that countries do face as time moves. On the same note, social media may mislead the juniors since they perceive the athletes as super-humans who have inborn talents that they have not worked for so as to achieve. This comes about through what the athletes share in the on their walls in the different social media on how they are experts in their area of specialization (Hauer). Therefore, this discourages the youth from trying the hard training that should be undertaken for one to make a good athlete. Therefore, the athletes start to be perceived by the society as individuals with supernatural powers that a normal human being cannot be in a position to own.
Social media has made has made us perceive athletes as open-minded people in the society. The athletes express themselves openly in the different sites of social media that are viewed all over the world. This makes their fans from the different parts of the world think that they are open-minded people since they share their achievements freely. Therefore, this has misled most members of the society in believing all the athletes of every single post they put on social media (Harrison and Lynch). It cannot be possible that all the athletes are open-minded on what they always think of and post on different social media sites.
The social media sites make its users perceive the athletes as trustworthy people in the society. This makes us have much trust on the athletes through what they post and share in social media. Therefore, this helps the athletes to be given be contacted by different members of the society and even their followers in different social media sites so as to carry out various activities with them. On the same note, the followers of the athletes became their best fans (Bissell and Porterfield). This gives the athletes an opportunity to enjoy a large support from all over the world during the periods of sports. Consequently, this boosts their morale in training and try as much as possible to deliver well in the different games and sporting activities that they do participate.
Posts in social media from different people who are fans of the athletes make us perceive the athletes as super-rich people in the world. The post makes us feel like the athletes are the ones who run the economies of the different countries of the world. Fans tend to praise over those who they do support in the different games and sports through over-estimating their wealth. The rumors spread very fast on social media platforms, and most users of the sites are convinced to be true (Bissell and Porterfield). The perception has made the athletes invest in different countries of the world, hence boosting the growth of the world economy. The athletes have also involved themselves in different voluntary works in their countries to assist the poor and assist in solving disasters like floods in their countries. Therefore, the perception of the wealth of the athletes has made great achievements to the economy since they can reciprocate to the society.
Social media has made us perceive athletes as immoral people in the society. The perception has been brought about due to the limited control that is in most social sites in the world (Bissell and Porterfield). The sites are breeding grounds for misbehaving, posting inappropriate comments and many more other vices. The athletes who involve themselves in such vices have been perceived to be immorally upright, hence posing a risk towards the current and future careers of the athletes. Some athletes may post or share posts that may portray immorality in different cultures of the world. Such a post destroys the image of the athlete among many of his supporters.
The use of social media plays an important role in making us perceive athletes as people who can market products and services easily. Therefore, this has made most companies in the developed and the developing countries to call upon the athletes to help them market their brands and the services that they do offer. Hence, this has made the companies realize high-profit returns from the sale of their products and services (Sanderson, Browning & Schmittel). The fans that support the athletes do go for the products that are branded the pictures or slogans of their supporters since they view the products as the best. On the same note, they see the products as those that create or enhance the bonds between the fans and the athletes. The athletes have also been perceived as the Patriots of their countries. The users of social media do flag the athletes with their respective nations as a sign of being patriotic to their nations. Therefore, the social media plays a very crucial role in marketing the world nations, more so the developing and the underdeveloped countries. This is through the use of the athletes as flag bearers of their nations hence marketing the nations in the various nations of the world.
The trends in different social media sites have played a role of us perceiving athletes as God-fearing men and women who do worship in different dominations. Therefore, the athletes are viewed as friendly people in the world and people who fear God. This is as per the perceptions that are created by themselves and their fans on the different platforms in the social media. In the real sense, most of the athletes are not God fearing since they are involved in different vices that include the idol worshiping. Therefore, the social media sites have misled most of the users of those websites since most of them have started following the footsteps of most athletes who are very famous. On the same note, the different social media sites have branded the highly rated athletes of the world as idol worshippers. The perception has been brought about because of the signs that the athletes do use when they have achieved a certain goal in life or after they have won a match (Sanderson, Browning & Schmittel). The signs do spread in different social media sites and those who post or share them claim that they are signs that glorify the devil. Consequently, the perception has played a role in downplaying the athletes’ image and even lessening the number of fans who do support those particular athletes.
Social media has played a role in making us believe that the world-class athletes never reveal their age so as to increase the number of years that they shall stay in the athletic industry. This has made the young stars that join the profession to reveal their true age when they sign contracts with different clubs. In the long run, this shall create a society that is full of truthful people and hence boosting the socio-economic development of the nations of the world. In general, social media plays a great role in the perception that we do have on athletes.
References
Bissell, Kimberly L., and Katie Hines Porterfield. ‘Who’s Got Game?: Exposure To Sports And Entertainment Media And Social Physique Anxiety In Division I Female Athletes’. Journal of Sports Media 1.1 (2006): 19-49. Web.
Harrison, Lisa A., and Amanda B. Lynch. ‘Social Role Theory And The Perceived Gender Role Orientation Of Athletes’. Sex Roles 52.3-4 (2005): 227-236. Web.
Hauer, Marcus Allan. ‘The Legal Issues Of Banning Student-Athletes’ Social Media Speech’. SSRN Electronic Journal n. pag. Web.
‘How Social Media Affects Our Practice’. Rehabilitation Nursing 38.6 (2013): 273-274. Web.
Kariou, Anna et al. ‘Teen Athletes: Facebook, Self Esteem And Self Perception’. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity 6.2 (2016): 94-97. Web.
Sanvenero, Richard. ‘Social Media And Our Misconceptions Of The Realities’. SSRN Electronic Journal n. pag. Web.
Sanderson, Jimmy, Blair Browning, and Annelie Schmittel. ‘Education On The Digital Terrain: A Case Study Exploring College Athletes’ Perceptions Of Social-Media Training’. IJSC 8.1 (2015): 103-124. Web.
Snyder, Eric M. et al. ‘Social Media Policies In Intercollegiate Athletics: The Speech And Privacy Rights Of Student-Athletes’. Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education 9.1 (2015): 50-74. Web.