The Positives and Negatives of Twitter: Exploring How Student-Athletes Use Twitter and Respond to Critical Tweets

TLDR

Twitter is widely studied in sport communication, yet little research has examined it from student‑athletes’ perspectives. This study investigated how NCAA Division I student‑athletes use Twitter and respond to critical fan tweets. Twenty student‑athletes were interviewed using semistructured interviews. Student‑athletes use Twitter mainly to stay in contact, communicate with followers, and access information, and they employ varied perceptions and strategies when dealing with critical tweets, indicating Twitter is beneficial but also poses challenges that athletic departments should address.

Abstract

Twitter has become a popular topic in sport communication research. Little research to date, however, has examined Twitter from the perspective of student-athletes. This research explored how student-athletes at an NCAA Division I university used Twitter and reacted to critical tweets from fans. Semistructured interviews with 20 student-athletes were conducted. Analysis revealed that student-athletes used Twitter in 3 primary ways: keeping in contact, communicating with followers, and accessing information. With respect to critical tweets, student-athletes reported various perceptions about them and diverse strategies for responding to them. The results suggest that Twitter is a beneficial communicative tool for student-athletes but also presents challenges, given the ease with which fans attack them via this social-media platform. Accordingly, athletic departments must be proactive in helping student-athletes use Twitter strategically, particularly in responding to detractors.