Sideline Talk

By the name of this podcast, you might think you’re here to talk about sports. While that’s true, that’s not all this is about. This podcast explores how social media impacts female athletes. So, gentlemen (and ladies), if you thought you were just going to read up on the latest sports news, you aren’t. But don’t leave just yet. Women in sports is a growing idea, and because of that, so is the media coverage. With female athletes beginning to be recognized more, the recognition may still stem from their physical appearance rather than their athletic ability. This is showcased in many aspects of digital media, especially through social media. Social media has begun to play an influential role in the sports community. With it becoming popular, athletes are now able to control their self-presentation through visual communication. However, the way in which social media generally portrays female athletes influences their own self-identity, as well as the public’s perception of their identity. Because this may influence the way female athletes view themselves, it may also affect how they may use social media. Because of this, it is important to explore and understand the relationship between social media usage and female athletes, which is exactly what the purpose of this podcast is. There are various themes that help explore this relationship between social media and female athletes, which offers deeper insight into how the media may affect the self image of a female athlete. Sideline Talk is here to open up a conversation about these themes. Hopefully you stuck around until the end. So, if you did, it’s game time.