When used well, social media has the power to start a conversation, and make a positive impact.

Western Bulldogs AFL star Easton Wood, used his considerable notoriety in the league (fresh off being a Premiership captain, and now co-host of the new AFLW television program) to send a message via his Twitter account about his objection to gambling advertising.

It was a powerful statement.

It is not entirely something new for professional athletes to ‘put themselves out there’ by expressing potentially unpopular views on social media, however more athletes are learning they have an opportunity to use their considerable reach for good online.

I love this statement, not because I share a similar strong view on the topic mentioned, but more that using social media to showcase your values, and character, what you stand for, is my dream for all athletes.

I take particular notice of ‘positive’ examples of social media use by athletes, and have collated a collection of close to 200 here: https://au.pinterest.com/ryanmobilia/athletes-shining-online/