STARTING off Scottish Women in Sport in 2013 coincided to a degree with the explosion of social media sites, and for me at that time it was a godsend. Given that women’s sport barely made it onto our screens or into the written press and struggled to get sponsorship, the use of social media was imperative.
We now have numerous sites which enable sportswomen and organisations to promote events, allowing them to communicate with the masses, get the results out and help showcase athletes – giving the public an insight into their lives and the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that many of them endure. Live streaming has added another dimension, bringing events straight to your laptop, where you can watch the action live or save it for later.
However, there is a downside to this and that was highlighted this week when the Scottish Government announced that they have taken steps to put together advice for schools on the danger that can be created through the wrong use of social media and in particular for young girls.
A funding package of £90,000 has been invested and its focus will be providing advice on concerns that are specific to the young people of Scotland around the misuse of social media and in particular how it can adversely affect your mental health and impact negatively on your day to day life.
Robert Nesbitt is specifically focusing on sport in his role as head of physical activity and sport with SAMH and they have a charter, Scotland’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport, which many of our sporting organisations have already signed up to. SAMH believe that being active isn’t just good for physical well-being, it also has a proven positive effect on mental health.
To be honest there isn’t a quick fix for this problem, it’s a complex issue of our time and to a certain extent, of our making. What we can do is care about each other, take time to talk to each other, face to face – not through a screen and treat everyone as you would like to be treated yourself: respect to your fellow human costs nothing.
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