The good and the bad of social media

by: Romany Howes (28 January 2014)

There have been two items of news that have caught my eye, both involving social media. Stan Collymore, sports commentator and former footballer has gone public (rightly so), in accusing Twitter of not acting to combat the abusive messages he has received, which have included death threats. When he suggested that Luis Suarez dived in a recent football match, it seems that the disagreeing trolls came out in force with homophobic, racist and threatening remarks.

An unacceptable abuse of social media!

On the other hand, Jamaica's bobsleigh team has raised more than £67,000 through online fundraising after qualifying for the Winter Olympics for the first time in 12 years. Donations have been pouring in via Dogecoin, the internet currency.

Liam Butler, who runs the Dogecoin foundation, said he had been inspired by the team's plight and wanted to help. Initially sending out a few emails, within hours, he had raised over 26m Dogecoins, which actually raised the price of the currency itself! "As someone who grew up in the 90s, Cool Runnings was the ultimate feel-good movie about underdogs out of their element achieving their dreams," Mr Butler told the Guardian.

Social media as it should be utilised!

NOTE: If you haven't seen Cool Runnings, watch it. Then watch it again.

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