Social media was initially created to help friends and families reconnect, but it has evolved drastically. Social media has become the primary tool communication, entertainment, and disseminating information today. When social media users post something on social media, it becomes available to the public, which is why some institutions are coming up with policies to guide social media use. Clemson and Florida State banned players from using social media through the course of 2015 season (Fortuna, 2015). The institutions prohibited social media to prevent players from posting inappropriate content that could embarrass them or the institution. Banning social media use among college athletes is a violation of the First Amendment rights as it denies the athletes the freedom to express themselves.
The First Amendment prohibits institutions from creating policies that violate the bill of rights. Freedom of speech is an essential component of the bill of rights. Banning athletes from using social media is wrong because social media has become an important tool of communication today. College athletes are yet to pursue legal actions against the institutions on the case of social media, but the courts allow freedom of speech among college students unless in special occasion (La Monte, 2014). Being a part of a sports team is not a special occasion, if college athletes still want to use abusive and offensive language, they will find ways to do so. Banning social media use is not always perceived well by young people who are addicted to social media.
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Colleges and coaches should come up with better ways to deal with behavioral issues among college issues. Social media ban is not just a violation of the First Amendment, but it does not address the underlying problem. Colleges have the resources to counsel and educate athletes on proper social media use instead of prohibiting them from using social media.
References
Fortuna, M. (2015, Aug 12). Clemson, FSU continuing social media bans for season. ESPN. Retrieved from: http://www.espn.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/84143/clemson-fsu-continuing- social-media-bans-for-season
La Monte, F. (2014, April 21). College Sports and Social Media: Leave Your Rights in the Locker Room? American Bar Association. Retrieved from:
https://apps.americanbar.org/litigation/committees/civil/articles/spring2014-0514- college-sports-social-media-leave-your-rights-locker-room.html
