Earlier this semester I wrote about Redskin's player Robert Hensen's decision to delete his twitter account after his negative tweets sparked a controversy with fans. This week, it seems another NFL player has fallen victim to a similiar fate. Mashable.com reports that Chief's player Larry Johnson has been suspended (costing him nearly $213,000.00 in missed games) after tweeting homophobic comments in a twitter-feud with another user that began after he insulted his head coach. Though the other user engaged in this twitter-spat made some off color comments as well, Johnson, as a public figure, will have to be held accountable for the offensive comments he made. Though he has deleted any offensive tweets, made his account private, and released a public apology; the fall-out of his online activity will have serious reprecusions. Would Johnson have ever walked up to a microphone and made such offensive comments at a press conference? Absolutely Not. And even if he had tried to, his coach, manager, publicist, etc. would all have pulled him away from the mic in an instance. So why the change in online behavior?
This incidient raises numerous questions about New Media, not just as it applies to celebrities, but to people in general. Johnsons comments, totally out of line and agressive, are not atypical in the online world. Many scholars have spoken of this online phenomenon, where people lose their social inhibitations and say or do things they'd never think of doing in the real world. Cyber-bullying seems to operate based on this idea that one can hide behind their computer screen and avoid being held accountable for their actions. Johnson's experience is evidence that this is no longer the case. As new mediums become more mainstream, individuals will have to increase their awareness of invisible audiences and accountability, or risk serious consequences like these ones.
This incidient raises numerous questions about New Media, not just as it applies to celebrities, but to people in general. Johnsons comments, totally out of line and agressive, are not atypical in the online world. Many scholars have spoken of this online phenomenon, where people lose their social inhibitations and say or do things they'd never think of doing in the real world. Cyber-bullying seems to operate based on this idea that one can hide behind their computer screen and avoid being held accountable for their actions. Johnson's experience is evidence that this is no longer the case. As new mediums become more mainstream, individuals will have to increase their awareness of invisible audiences and accountability, or risk serious consequences like these ones.
