One of the greatest challenges to the good mental health of elite athletes is social media, especially during big events. Keyboard warriors feel free to attack athletes’ performances, their bodies, every aspect of their lives. Athletes need social media to build their brands but the attention is a double-edged sword. What can be done?
Cyberbullying Is a Major Problem
During the Paris 2024 Olympics, the IOC implemented a cyber-abuse protection service powered by artificial intelligence. The service monitored the social media accounts of over 10,400 athletes and officials for cyberbullying, reviewing more than 2.4 million posts in 35 languages during the Olympics.
Clearly, the service was desperately needed. Over 10,200 abusive posts targeting athletes and officials were removed from social media, some before they were published. Most of the posts concentrated on 353 athletes and officials. Posts included threats of sexual violence and horrific racist attacks.
Cyberbullying has reached criminal proportions. Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, was subjected to homophobic and antisemitic attacks. Seven people were convicted for cyberbullying by sending him hate messages and even death threats to Jolly on social media. All seven were forced to pay fines and received suspended prison terms.
Boxer Imane Khalif suffered horrible abuse in both traditional media and online, leading French authorities to launch a criminal investigation. Khelif filed a civil lawsuit against her cyber attackers, including J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk. Her case is hampered by the international nature of social media (i.e., the poster, the target, the social media company and the event may all be in different countries).
But That’s Just the Olympics, Right?
Other sports are looking into the problem of cyberbullying. World Athletics commissioned a four-year study that analyzed online abuse of track and field athletes. The report, issued in December 2024, is disturbing. Threat Matrix, the same AI program used by the IOC, monitored the online accounts of 2,438 athletes and reviewed more than 1.4 million social media posts and comments for potential cyberbullying. The time frame of the study covered two Olympics (Tokyo and Paris) and two world championships. The system flagged thousands of posts and comments as abusive. Abuse included racist, sexist, and violent posts. World Athletics provided year-round AI protection for 25 “highly targeted” individuals.
The study did not cover direct messages or posts that did not tag the athlete or event, so the study acknowledges the problem is even more widespread than their numbers indicate.
Is AI the Only Option?
Using artificial intelligence to scan social media is a good start. The World Athletics study shows that sports federations recognize the seriousness of the problem and are using their resources to address it. The International Tennis Federation, the International Hockey Federation, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, and World Rugby have joined World Athletics in using Threat Matrix to protect their athletes. Unfortunately, social media companies like Meta (Facebook) and X have backed away from their responsibilities in protecting users. However, technology in this area is improving rapidly and can be implemented at the individual user level.
graphic from the IOC World Mental Health Day report, courtesy of the IOC
But the IOC is not relying on AI alone. At the Paris Olympics, the IOC implemented additional supports to protect athletes’ mental health. The Athletes’ Village included a Mind Zone, a dedicated space where athletes could decompress. Thousands of Olympians took advantage of the immersive virtual reality mindfulness experience in disconnection pods and additional human support offered by trained mental health professionals on-site 14 hours a day. Athletes could call the Mentally Fit helpline, available in 70 languages, or they could contact 152 accredited National Olympic Committee Welfare Officers from 74 NOCs.
World Athletics has used its study to develop educational materials for athletes to share best practices for protecting themselves online, as well as offering support and services for national federations to implement on a larger scale.
According to Kirsty Burrows, IOC Head of Safe Sport, “These figures demonstrate the scale of protection that was provided at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 – and the scale of online abuse that athletes and officials face.”
The Problem Involves Everyone, So Does the Solution
Anyone who cares about Olympians as people knows to think before they type. What else can we fans do? Don’t be afraid to report posts and comments that you see that could be viewed as cruel. Don’t throw insults around on social media, even when defending others. Raise the level of the conversation and demand that others do as well. It may sound simple but it matters!
Want to learn more about the state of athletes’ mental health in Olympic and Paralympic sports? Check out our playlist of episodes covering this incredibly important topic.
–Alison Brown