Social Media at the Holidays

When the holidays roll around young athletes suddenly have a lot of time on their hands.  Without school, and sometimes less sports activities, there exists many opportunities to engage on social media.  How you choose to use these opportunities is up to you, but it’s worth keeping in mind the dangers that exist on social media at this time of year.  So, how do you avoid the vicious cycle of holiday boredom?

Find ways to disconnect

Last month we discussed some different pre-game strategies which included ‘Social Media Silence’.   Choosing to shut down or disconnect from social media can be difficult when holiday boredom sets in, but it’s important to log off from time to time. Letting yourself get away from your devices helps separate yourself from social media and avoid boredom based blunders.

Make a schedule

While Social Media Silence is one way to disconnect another may be to schedule the time you plan on spending online.  Consider how much time you spend on social media during a school day.  Would spending more time than that online really change much?  The answer, whether you want to admit it or not, is no.  Spending more time on social media because you have it doesn’t help you enjoy the holidays.

No one wants to go back to school and answer the question “What did you do over the holidays?” with “I posted 85 new selfies to Instagram!” Choosing to schedule the amount of time you spend online over the holidays requires you to be tactical. Going to miss the Team Canada game? Don’t go on Twitter in the car right after it’s over!  Wait until after you’ve sat down and watched the game with family to join the conversation.

Don’t let technology ruin tradition

Your family’s tree is beautiful and that turkey looks great!  But I have my own turkey, and they look very similar.  You don’t need to share every moment of your holidays with your followers; share them with your family.  Sure you may want to post a picture at some point to let your friends know you’re thinking of them too, but keep your posts to a minimum.

One or two posts during holiday events is more than enough.  In fact, if you post more than three times during the six or seven hours you’re around your family you may want to consider how much time you missed out on at home!  Take the time to be with your family over the holidays and really be there.  Players who spend all Christmas day online send the wrong message to a lot of coaches and scouts.  Being able to shut down and log off says your family is important to you and you want to enjoy your time with them.

Be you!

This last piece of advice is something that applies all year, but don’t let the holidays change you!  Use the holidays to share your story and your beliefs in a positive manner.  Happily wish others a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah while being accepting of what makes others holiday traditions unique.  Social media has an incredible power to let us share our story with others while also learning so much about the world around us.  Embrace every minute of it to learn what makes everyone else in your network special, because just like snowflakes, no two people are exactly alike!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

 

Find out more about Jeremy Whalen, his exclusive articles for Goalie Army Academy, and his website, The Social Athlete’s Guide.