When Sports and Social Media Don’t Mix
Creative Commons photo courtesy of eytonz
It’s football season. If you need me, I’ll be on the couch, shouting (and tweeting) “Go Pack Go!”
And one thing I’ve come to love about Packers games is the real-time conversation with other Packers fans on Twitter (or any other social network, really).
The perfect marriage
Sports and social media were nearly bred to go together.
The community that surrounds a sport and a team pairs well with social media, where that community can go to connect with others and get a more immersive experience.
When they don’t mix
I love that football during the NFL season has become saturated, but when I miss a game, it’s hard to avoid the final score.
And, in terms of social media, I have to stay off of it, because updates and tweets from friends and followers will give me an indication of how the game is going — that’s something I want to avoid.
The London Olympics
The Olympic Games in London showed this clearly as well. In America, NBC opted to air the opening ceremony and some events on tape delay, much to the consternation of many viewers.
I saw tweet after tweet of event results during the day and then saw the coverage at night. I didn’t mind as much as I do when I miss Packers games, but it was still a bit disheartening.
Away from results, community
Clearly, when you can’t watch sports coverage live, staying away from spoilers and results on social media is impossible.
And it’s not just about being spoiled with results. It’s about missing the extra element of participation in the online community.
What to do
I wish there was an easy answer, that the world could wait for me. It can’t.
Instead, when you’re in this situation, missing a game and the live social media banter, just stay off your phone and computer and watch the game when you can.
Then enjoy your break from social media and allow yourself to decompress. (Assuming your team wins, of course.)
Do you have other examples of when social media and sports don’t mix?
You have to avoid everything because spoilers seem to be everywhere! Definitely felt it with the olympics but also tennis and soccer especially tournaments!
Yeah – my iPhone doesn’t work when I’m at the OU home games in Norman! What’s up with that?
It’s so true that spoilers happen all the time in Social Media. It’s hard to not know what is going on in sports and other programming when you are always on Twitter and Facebook. Taking a break from it sounds good to me!