American sprint legend Michael Johnson disagrees with Shericka Jackson’s coach, Stephen Francis, on the idea of banning athletes from social media to reduce pressure and help them focus on their careers. Johnson argues that social media, when used correctly, can be a valuable tool. Reflecting on his own career, he mentioned that he would have liked to have social media available during his competitive years and believes athletes should have the freedom to decide how to use their platforms.
Acknowledging that athletes face pressure, Johnson feels that banning social media does not guarantee pressure-free performance. He expressed his thoughts at the Racers Summit, saying, “I think that kids today are under a tremendous amount of pressure that doesn’t necessarily come from a coach or a parent or somewhere else; they are just under a lot of pressure, just from society. I wish we had social media because it’s an amazing tool and I don’t criticize athletes for using social media… it’s an amazing tool if used correctly and it’s not going anywhere.”
Johnson continued, “So, the idea of saying to kids, ‘Don’t be on social media,’ that’s being an idiot. It’s a matter of helping these people understand how to manage the pressure and how to protect themselves.”
Previously, Stephen Francis had mentioned considering a policy for MVP Track Club athletes to remove social media to maintain focus. “I believe I’m going to try to implement a policy for the athletes to delete social media before they start competing. It’s too much of a distraction, and they spend too much time on their phones,” he said.
Johnson also noted that today’s athletes may not be fully enjoying the sport, as they focus too much on winning and sometimes lack an understanding of the sport itself, saying, “Well, certainly, you know when kids are under pressure, it can rob them of the fun or the experience of the play and really even understanding if they enjoy the sport or not.”
Reflecting on his own development, he added, “I think it was instrumental in my development and ability to develop slowly and really enjoy the sport, and I wasn’t under pressure from my coach or my parents as well because that’s where a lot of pressure comes from a lot of times especially today with kids being in organized sports.”
