Should pro athletes expect privacy? Woso edition

More woso (women's soccer) drama. This time involving Arsenal women's footballer Katie McCabe being recorded in a club. It raised questions about athlete privacy that I decided to share my thoughts on!
Like | Comment | Subscribe ‪@_MindfulAthlete‬

[@Gabbame11]

The bigger issue for me was people deciding she was cheating from a grainy video and spreading lies. They're affecting real people's lives

[@_MindfulAthlete]

Thanks for your comment :) And yes, you're absolutely right! People are really comfortable spreading rumours as fact when they aren't confirmed. Hopefully Katie's video has made some people realize it's safer to not assume things!

[@caroljacobsen3596]

Great presentation on this issue. One thing about para social relationships, athletes like Katie McCabe are “cultivating” a fan base by the very nature of their Instagram accounts. Therefore, maybe she and others might benefit from some formal media training It is obvious that some female football athletes have embarked on an informal broadcasting career and manage it well.

[@_MindfulAthlete]

Interesting point! Parasocial relationships do feel a bit inevitable if you're an athlete sharing your personal life on Instagram. If it doesn't already exist, I think teams probably will move towards mandatory social media training given the times we're living in.

[@charlottehill9409]

100% I think the issue is para social relationships. Of course she wasn’t doing anything wrong here however even if she was ‘doing something wrong’ her job is a football player and what she gets up to in her free time isn’t anyone else’s business in my opinion as she’s still doing her job as a player. Fans even going as far as to comment on their relatives social media accounts is definitely taking it too far when they themselves haven’t chosen a ‘public figure’ life.

[@_MindfulAthlete]

Thanks for your comment and yes for sure! I thought of mentioning how Amber Gill had to speak out because fans were messaging her about the club incident. The strong connection some fans have with players definitely leads to blurred lines regarding what's appropriate/inappropriate behaviour.

[@eleonoraangelone4975]

Katie💪💚

[@_MindfulAthlete]

Thanks for your comment! :)