Athletes have
been viewed as role models from
as early as the 20th century, but what does that really mean? Were
they better role models then than they are now, or do we just know more about
their personal lives now? Do they really have that much influence over young
athletes pursuing a sport? Should they even be role models? Do people even
care?
The article, Survey
Shows Perception of Athletes Has Changed in the Age of Increased Exposure,
discussed the changing views of athletes as role models over the past few
decades. In my American Sport in the 21st Century class on February
10, 2015 we discussed sport and socialization with one of the five agents of
socialization being mass media. How much has mass media exposed the private
lives of athletes and how much has this had an effect on the changing view of
athletes as role models? Years ago it didn’t seem to matter what an athlete did
away from the game because people really didn’t know what they did. They had
much more privacy than today’s athletes. Now it does matter what athletes do
away from the game. The available media outlets today: the internet, twitter,
facebook, and instagram all make it easy to inform people of an athlete’s poor
decisions or criminal activity. If an athlete portrays a bad image of himself
or herself, it will be far less likely for a young child or teen to be
socialized into wanting to play the sport of that athlete. Even worse, it can
influence the child to engage in similar negative behaviors.
The article also questioned whether people expect
athletes to be role models as part of their job. In class we talked about
athletes as role models and how a good role model should demonstrate qualities
like good sportsmanship, honesty, high moral values, and determination. Before
social media many players were looked at as having these traits so they were
viewed as good role models. For example, the article pointed out that Mickey
Mantle looked like a good role model to the public, but that was because we
only saw his public life, not his private one. Mantle was an alcoholic. Does
that seem like a good role model for a child? In American Sport class we also
discussed whether it really was part of an athlete’s job to be a role model. So
is it? Twenty years ago players like Charles Barkley indicated he wasn’t a role
model because he wasn’t paid to be one. Today, whether an athlete wants to be
viewed as one or not doesn’t matter, he or she often is one. The public is
always judging athletes based on their actions. Look at some of the recent ones
in the such as Ray Rice or Adrian Peterson. Do we admire these athletes? Do we
want our children looking up to them? According to the Trib Total media’s
survey in the article, the view of an athlete as a role model is declining,
which I find disappointing. You can
thank social media for that; they expose the private lives of these athletes
all the time. Are all of their mistakes really newsworthy? Are they not
entitled to some privacy? They are, after all, human. Humans make mistakes. It
is my hope, though, that in the future more players will become better role
models for the sake of our children.
Clink here for a video about how role models influence
our society:
Click here for a link to the article:
