While abuse can be persistent, the response from athletes is evolving.
Some young athletes are finding ways to withstand the noise, such as Formula E driver Ella Lloyd who says she “just laughs” at negative comments, while Olympic gymnast Ruby Evans, who is competing at this year’s Commonwealth games, is clear in her response: “They can’t do what I do.”
Rather than simply enduring social media, many are shaping their visibility and Dr Mellick believes this shift is partly generational.
“Having grown up with this technology, [younger athletes] are better able to adapt to it. They have a better knowledge and understanding and appreciation for it,” he said.
“They don’t see it as an immediate threat response. It’s something they’re familiar with. They have a better understanding that social media is not fact-based. It’s a form of entertainment.
“They can then also look and use to explore it in more positive ways.”
Cardiff City midfielder Eli King is one such example. During his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury last season, he launched Justaquickconvo, a series of social media podcasts focused on mental health in sport.
King says he hopes he is using his platform in a positive way and though being initially unsure about sharing his experiences, he has said the response has confirmed to him the importance of using visibility positively.
“People reaching out to me explaining their stories and maybe their struggles and why me trying to do something like this is helping them. Once I received that reception, it was worthwhile,” said the 24-year-old.
“Everyone has their problems and struggles. If one person can watch that [his content] and feel encouraged to call their mate the next day, that’s sort of my job done.”
Dr Mellick sees this response as significant.
“From research we know that athletes sharing their struggles online has been a really impactful measure to break down stigma associated with mental health issues,” he said.
“It has increased help-seeking behaviour, particularly in males, and created better and safer conversations around mental health and well-being.”
Exposure is inevitable but with that, increasingly athletes are learning not just to survive and deal with the noise from social media but inspire change through their platforms.
They are helping to reshape what visibility can mean in the hope that even small actions can shift behaviour.
As Cain said: “If I can make people think before they write something, I will.”
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