“The population of athletes is not spared from the use of social networks, on the contrary, we have a population which is rather young, and sometimes even, which was born with social networks, with screens”, recalls Laurent Dalard, first aid and health risks coordinator of the Paris Olympics organizing committee.
However, athletes from all countries are not all at the same level of knowledge of the risks linked to overexposure to screens such as anxiety, disturbed sleep or even cyberbullying.
“High-level athletes are more likely to be subjected to situations such as anxiety or depressive disorders, due to the particularly complicated context and the strong pressure they are under. Excessive use of screens can have the effect of accentuating these phenomena,” explains Laurent Dalard.
The media coverage of certain athletes also makes them more “exposed to cyberharassment”, he believes: “We have an impact on everything that is sleep”, which can disrupt “sports performance”.
For certain athletes, “sexist, racist comments, linked to their size, their weight”, can recur recurrently and have effects on their “mental health”, he also explains.
“The problem is the consumption we make of it. So in fact, we advocate relevant, adapted use of screens, but not total withdrawal. And anyway, it will be a message that will not be audible,” recognizes Laurent Dalard.
Prevention exercises will be organized within the Olympic village polyclinic, with also the distribution of flyers as well as the dissemination during the Olympics but also in advance of a best practices guide for athletes.
“Just as it would never occur to any athlete to gorge themselves on burgers and sweets the day before a competition, it is also not good to gorge themselves on videos about social networks or binge watching on Tik Tok or Instagram,” summarizes Laurent Dalard.
