Posts
1324
Joined
8/1/2009
Location
IL
Edited Date/Time
6/21/2017 7:16pm
We love social media here at Vital of course, what's there not to love? Instant updates from the coolest people in the raddest places doing awesome stuff. And running after followers is always fun too, right? However, seen from another angle, social media can also amplify age-old issues like exclusion and bullying, and force us to put up a false front to avoid becoming victims. And in the world of sports, an athlete's value is increasingly measured in terms of social media engagement, which adds more pressure to look your best in every situation. We just came across this post from Anneke Beerten, one of the fastest women on two wheels in the world, and a fairly prolific social media user to boot. These are honest and insightful musings, and they made us think. Are expectations (both on social media and in society in general) increasingly unrealistic and unnatural, or is this just part of the game you play if you want to be a sponsored athlete? We've come a long way, but how much more do we have to do when it comes to gender equality (in sports and in life)? Read Anneke's message below and chime in with your thoughts!
From Anneke
"Okay, im gonna spit it out..I was thinking of not posting this picture... Why? Because I thought I did not look at my best. But this is me, covered in dust, tired, angry, exhausted, frustrated, veins popping, a glove tan and taking a minute for myself after finishing a 2 day Enduro race in Argentina. Sven Martin snaps this shot of me being me at that time and not so happy with my result. I think the picture speaks for it self. Im getting a little bit tired of having the feeling I have to post that perfect picture, checking how many likes I and new followers I got. And please, dont tell me this is crazy because you do the same thing... Were all doing it! Dont get me wrong, I love Social Media and how easy it is these days to keep in close contact with my friends all over the globe. And in this way I can contribute to promote my sponsors. But this whole social media thing is taking itself to a whole new level... Most of my contracts have a "social media paragraph, there are Social Media rankings and people that keep track on how well you engage. Because the cooler I am on social media the more sponsors and people maybe like me?! But what do the pictures really tell about me? Im a person that does not like to share you my dinner plates or my butt in a new Yoga pants that I just bought, that just ain't me...... Its sad but it is the reality that for female athletes it is a lot about social media and how you look these days. Its almost like "winning a race is cool, but how many likes did you get?" To me that is not what it is about, again I am stoked I can share this all with the world and hopefully inspire more people to ride or to get them stoked on riding. But at the end of the day I wanne win that race for me and that feeling it gives me, make my parents and friends proud, get my sponsors stoked for me winning and that feeling that you all worked hard to win it!! As a young girl I dreamt of doing all of this, I rode my bike non stop, felt the wind though my hair and my face was most of the time covered in dirt. I was not comparing myself with anybody, I was just being me and doing what I love. Im proud to show my feminine side in this mainly manly dominated sport of full face helmets and scars. But in a way I feel comfortable with (and so my dad does not fall of his chair when he sees a weird pictures of me trying to be something im not...haha)" I guess what im trying to say with all this is, and this is to most of the girls out there: Please be who you are, you should not compare yourself with numbers, likes, or other people.... You are awesome, share your passion with the rest of the world the way you feel comfortable with it. Dont feel like you have to post something you dont want! Were all an individual and beautiful just the way we are."
From Anneke
"Okay, im gonna spit it out..I was thinking of not posting this picture... Why? Because I thought I did not look at my best. But this is me, covered in dust, tired, angry, exhausted, frustrated, veins popping, a glove tan and taking a minute for myself after finishing a 2 day Enduro race in Argentina. Sven Martin snaps this shot of me being me at that time and not so happy with my result. I think the picture speaks for it self. Im getting a little bit tired of having the feeling I have to post that perfect picture, checking how many likes I and new followers I got. And please, dont tell me this is crazy because you do the same thing... Were all doing it! Dont get me wrong, I love Social Media and how easy it is these days to keep in close contact with my friends all over the globe. And in this way I can contribute to promote my sponsors. But this whole social media thing is taking itself to a whole new level... Most of my contracts have a "social media paragraph, there are Social Media rankings and people that keep track on how well you engage. Because the cooler I am on social media the more sponsors and people maybe like me?! But what do the pictures really tell about me? Im a person that does not like to share you my dinner plates or my butt in a new Yoga pants that I just bought, that just ain't me...... Its sad but it is the reality that for female athletes it is a lot about social media and how you look these days. Its almost like "winning a race is cool, but how many likes did you get?" To me that is not what it is about, again I am stoked I can share this all with the world and hopefully inspire more people to ride or to get them stoked on riding. But at the end of the day I wanne win that race for me and that feeling it gives me, make my parents and friends proud, get my sponsors stoked for me winning and that feeling that you all worked hard to win it!! As a young girl I dreamt of doing all of this, I rode my bike non stop, felt the wind though my hair and my face was most of the time covered in dirt. I was not comparing myself with anybody, I was just being me and doing what I love. Im proud to show my feminine side in this mainly manly dominated sport of full face helmets and scars. But in a way I feel comfortable with (and so my dad does not fall of his chair when he sees a weird pictures of me trying to be something im not...haha)" I guess what im trying to say with all this is, and this is to most of the girls out there: Please be who you are, you should not compare yourself with numbers, likes, or other people.... You are awesome, share your passion with the rest of the world the way you feel comfortable with it. Dont feel like you have to post something you dont want! Were all an individual and beautiful just the way we are."
that's gotta be rough to experience or feel that. i'm sure that seems like a reality for so many athletes, though. while not social media, i personally feel that w/ stats on the site here all the time. seeing what gets high likes/views and what doesn't is always baffling. comparison is the thief of joy they say and i've tried to overlook stats/likes as a metric for success (but it's f'ing difficult to do some days : )
Put another way, I don't blame the team manager who hires the hot-but-not-so-good rider/athlete/skactor/bactor whatever. But I hate it. I'd rather see results speak and keep driving at the thing that makes riding bikes so cool in the first place. What is that? I dunno...but I do feel even the word "stats" probably runs cross grain to it all...
Either people need to start paying a lot more attention to women's 4-cross racing in Europe, or Anneke needs to come to grips with the fact that she's getting paid to be a badass on instagram, which at the end of the day, isn't the worst job in the world.
Cycling, in general, has skirted this issue to some extent in that it remains more or less results driven unlike the bulk of the rest. Not to say what she is talking about doesn't matter in cycling, but its not half as bad as surfing, skiing etc.
Until people care about the sport, not the *idea* of the sport, this will problem will remain a bit of an elephant in the room. Anneke won't change anything by posting what she posted, she likely knows this. But its still refreshing to see honesty like that. I'm a bigger fan of hers as a result. But yeah, you are right, she doesn't "have" to be a pro, and she doesn't "have" to partake in the system - she can go get a job like the rest of us and pay to ride bikes. So yeah, I guess there are a few ways of looking at it.
DELETED MY TERRIBLE ANALOGY...(cause it was bad.)
are those marketing-driven instagram posts even effective on the viewers? they all back-fired on me. not to mention, countless times when viewing instagram, i don't even remember what i saw 30 seconds ago.
Industry people tracking the engagement, shares, likes, and then signing riders based on that, is ridiculous.
How people behave at an event, a clinic, a trade show, aka IN PERSON is what matters. I have seen Anneke (and many many more) interact with the fans, students, etc, and leave a positive lasting impression from a talented, kind, human. That leaves a real mark, not likes or selfies.
Well said Anneke.
Why do sponsors pay athletes? It isn't for wins, nor so they get a tax break. The end result (they hope) is to sell more product. It doesn't matter exactly how that additional product gets moved; whether we like that fact that this brand or that propelled Anneke to a win, or whether she looks good in yoga pants is irrelevant. What matters is that the sponsor's dollars are a beneficial investment to the company and they provide a return on investment.
From that viewpoint, social media interaction is very important. I would add that the "Mz. Perfect" illusion probably still sells more in this country than the "F you, I'm an individual" attitude does. That is why there is pressure to be at your best and always project the best image you can for your sponsors, whether racing or sitting on the tailgate (or posing with your dinner in yoga pants, for that matter).
Now, Being a fan of Anneke, a fan of the sport, a lover of women, and a realist, I have no problem with a picture of a dirty, disappointed woman who just gave her all and came up short. It makes her all the more real, and that is a sponsor's dream come true.
I'd question the effectiveness of Female social media posts on selling product to Females. I know the whole topic is somewhat un-measurable but it seems that a lot of product companies feel that their sponsored athletes posts somehow contribute to more sales. This may be the case for women-specific products, clothing etc.. but I think there is a huge difference in the weight Male and Female consumers give to 'what the Pro's ride / use / wear'.
I live in an area where there are a high number of female bikers, from complete beginners to world-class, with several dozen turning up to a recent women's only Super-D/Enduro style race (i.e. the big market for most product companies). I'd bet that very few of them could name more than a couple of Pro women, what bikes they ride, what gear they use, what kit they wear, what their race results are, who won the EWS last year, who's leading it this year, Name more than 1 or two female downhillers, Name any XC racers..I could go on. I just think that Men pay a lot more attention to what other guys are riding, what looks cool etc. and the riding / racing 'scene' in general, whereas the vast majority of female bikers just like riding their bike, and aren't influenced by what anyone else is doing or saying.
between those, the spoke tales episodes, the individual members posting more videos than ever, and getting wyn to consistently put out content.. i'm guessing gt put a no joke, insanely strict social media clause into the new team's contract. wouldn't surprise me that after so many years having the athertons on board, who are on the low end of the content creation spectrum, that they went overboard once they finally got to field the new team.
hard to criticize the industry as a whole for pushing their riders to keep a solid web presence when any and every athlete and public figure has to do the exact same thing. but obviously if you push too hard people resent the spam and all that effort actually works against the brand as i'm sure everyone's already said. gt clearly needs to pump the brakes in this regard.
on the other hand, i can't imagine posting such a serious grievance so publicly is gonna win her any allies in the boardroom. talk about a pr nightmare.
best of luck to anneke. even if it wasn't a great professional decision i respect that she brought the issue to the masses in an attempt to relieve pressure on everyone rather than just herself.
Therefore why shouldn't social media interactions be monitored just as much as racing results?
To be payed to do anything, someone has to find value in it, and the value companies place on riders in most cases is that they expose their product to a wider audience, not that they win races.
As much as social media can be a grotesque skewed manufactured version of reality, it could well be the reason an athlete is signed in the first place.
So no, it doesn't put too much pressure on a professional mountainbiker, because unlike a lot of sports, their social media accounts ARE one of the reasons they are being payed, so if they aren't willing to run their accounts as such then good luck with the contract negotiations.
I think Anna is touching on a point that is an athlete is supposed to be dedicated to the pursuit of winning. Period. Instagram and all the other crap does not make them faster in the same way that--in my belief--social media is a narcissistic illness within our society that is eroding real personal enlightenment, achievement.and interaction with our actual surroundings.
As a form of advertising, is it really that pervasive for the average Joe/Jane? If Anna wins on a GT or Gwin on a YT I don't give a rats ass. I-Drive is still a pain to maintain and YT spares are still hard to come by in a hurry. I buy what doesn't suck regardless of the marketing and you should too. Gwin riding a DT Swiss 471 rim down an entire run with a flat and the rim staying somewhat round is an advertisement that will get my attention because it speaks to genuine durability and usefulness. Crank brothers kills the DH scene with the pseudo-tattoo thing and the sheer number of pros using the pedals but they need constant rebuilds, frequently snap, and need new cleats every season. So our shop sells zero of them. No Instagram post will fix those issues until the product is better.
Am I the only one who feels that spending even 15 minutes a day on social media is a complete waste of time? I check Facebook maybe once a month and don't have an account for any other social media website aside from Pinkbike and here if that counts.
I ride, work, stay fit, enjoy time with family, and cannot fathom how I would fit the time to post/read/check social media into my schedule without cutting into actual productivity.
Let athletes be athletes and leave the marketing jobs to the people who have the student loans for it.
If they're not rhetorical, I can help answer your questions in the same condescending, dichotomous way you asked them.
Is it really that pervasive (??? - persuasive?) for the average Joe/Jane? Clearly it is. Leave the marketing jobs to the people who have the student loans for it, right?
Are you the only one...? Actually, yes, you are. Congratulations on finding somewhere to grind your axe.
I will, however, offer a response to the offender.
Our shop (for which I essentially volunteer part-time) has a full-time media guy who does have students loans. We are the go-to shop in the area (and do decent amounts of mail order as well) for many reasons but one of which is that we help customers navigate the ridiculously complex landscape of figuring out what to purchase in regards to mountain bikes and parts. We sell and recommend what is best for the customer and what works regardless of media hype. We sell what we know to work well. No BS.
The condescending tone was unintentional but warranted nonetheless. Buying any product based on social media hype is asinine and deserves to be discouraged. Let the products do the talking, not the marketing schleps. I want companies to focus on making better products not better advertising methods just as much as I want athletes to focus on winning and training. Not how many followers they need to appease the bean counters. The use of "pervasive" was correct and intended.
FarmeR57 and I will be underrepresented for obvious reasons and will most likely get clobbered on here; but I also know the majority of my interactions are with people who feel the same way and they are obviously not out complaining on social media. They are not buying bikes because Anna won or looked hot last week. I do know that they are out riding; and in alot of cases, absolutely shredding their "yesterday" bike whereas the gotta-have-matching-kit-and-boost-hubs-taking-rad-selfie guys are sucking wind and just back there making lots of noise.
This social media thing is like alcohol or sugar. Too much becomes a problem. That little un-scratchable itch you feel while you rifle through pages and photos and quotes and other people doing things multiple times a day is guilt and the knowledge that you could be doing great things too...if you would just get off your damn phone/tablet/computer and go do it.
What you must have missed in my post, is that I didn't defend social media at all, other than its usefulness as a marketing tool.
As far as the effectiveness of athletes on social media, the answer is obvious. Athlete sponsorship isn't something new, and while the use of social media is more recent, the effect is proven and trusted. The wish for companies to not focus on advertising is pretty asinine in itself, and just like your shop advertises and has social media presence, so should the industry. Now ask yourself if your top salesman or social media wouldn't be replaced at the drop of a hat by one of the top pros. There's your answer.
Social Media has the potential to displace normal experience and memory and potentially create a far reaching disconnect upon processing information in the future. Anneke and her reaction to how such pace is something weighty when the goal in bicycling is to stay light places the topic front and center.
Adele had a similar moment recently after probably tiring of finding herself aware to the conscious delving too far into the subconscious with telephone camera presentations as an extension to experiencing a live performance. It is very true what she says - 'I am right here' The compulsion to attach a buffer to a setting like an Adele Concert by way of what likely becomes a need in order to be able to remember a participatory event is conditioning. Self conditioning and a numbing to sensation. Dangerous on a largest-scale.
Anneke is a core rider in my opinion; Bicycle Endorsements on display and at the end of the Day is not doing anything but remaining a racer / rider. I did a quick interwebz image search for her and - no impulse product co-sponsorships and this speaks volumes. Social media being able to extrapolate from within the largess of selling, profiting, and garnering attention w/o concern for why such space exists is troubling, a near brainwashing tool to those who choose so.
Bottom line is what will the quality of life be like 10 years from now, 25 years from now, if any divinity of human emotion and human expression only increases a compulsion with infinite space of personal computing?
I feel Anneke recognizes this quality of life and is taking a scholastic approach toward it, as opposed to it being a structured 'drop' in coming weeks.
Stay tuned?
What if I already am??
Post a reply to: Is Social Media Putting Too Much Pressure on Athletes?