Facebook and Social Media

Background

There has been a growing awareness in sport of the increasing communication by adults and young people on the rapidly developing social networking sites and how this media has become a feature of social communication. There are risks associated with these developments, and the ASA has identified a number of issues that have led to both disciplinary and safeguarding concerns which stem from the improper or inappropriate use of such sites by its members.

Introduction

The ASA recognise that the use of social networking sites such as My Space, Bebo, Facebook and Twitter is a rapidly growing phenomenon and is increasingly being used as a communication tool of choice by young people and more recently by adults. Facebook is the largest such site whose "mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected", and is reported to have in excess of five hundred million active users worldwide. A third of the UK population is reported to have a Facebook account.

These sites permit users to chat online, post pictures, and write ‘blogs’ etc, through the creation of an online profile, that can either be publicly available to all or restricted to an approved circle of electronic friends.

Sites such as You Tube and Google provide a platform for uploading and viewing video clips, which with the latest cameras and mobile phones becomes ever easier and can be almost instantaneous.

In addition to these sites, Twitter is a social networking and micro blogging service that enables users to send and read other user messages called tweets. Tweets are like online text messages of up to a maximum of 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page. Tweets are publicly visible by default however the sender can restrict message delivery to their friends list only.

Whilst these technologies provide exciting opportunities, they are accompanied by dangers and negative consequences if abused by users.

The purpose of this guidance is to provide a recommendation of best practice to all ASA club members and parents on the use of social networking sites as they relate to that individual’s role in the ASA club.

Note: Throughout this guidance a young person/children is anyone under the age of 18.

For full information go to:

Good Practice Guidelines on the use of Social Networking Sites by ASA Clubs and Club Members (Section two Wavepower 2009/11 page 66A)
The Parents' Guide to Twitter

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