The Cybercrime Prevention Act 2012 defines Cyberbullying as “acts of using information and communications technology to intimidate, harass, or cause emotional distress”. This may cause negative emotions such as sadness, anger, fear, and embarrassment to the victim.
The African Cup of Nations 2023 has yet again exposed the problem of cyberbullying! The cruel taunts and abuse meted out to some of the Nigerian national team players has been uncalled for and in very poor taste! It’s also sad to note that most of the abuse has come from Nigerians who should be supporting and protecting the players who have donned the national colours and are representing their/our country. We went to AFCON 2023 and came back with SILVER medals, as well as a player of the tournament award. Is that so bad? 🤔
It is well understood and appreciated that football is a sport that can generate a rollercoaster of emotions and no one is saying you can’t criticise the Super Eagles when their performance is below expectation, but we need to be more aware of the distress that cruel comments cause to the recipients of such abuse. Yes, they are public figures and yes, they get paid a lot of money, but they are allowed to have a “bad day at the office”, just like we all do… now and then!
As someone who works with young players/people, I have seen firsthand the effect that this can have on such young shoulders. It can stay with the individual and haunt them for a very long time. When you screw up at work, only a handful of people get to know. Unfortunately, because footballers are public figures, their bad days are in full view, and there is nowhere to hide.
Please let’s be more mindful, considerate and guarded of what we say on social media and think about how this affects the mental health of others… 🙏🏾
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