England captain Maro Itoje has criticized the “corrosive” effects of social media following the racial abuse suffered by Ireland’s Edwin Edogbo after his international debut.
Edogbo, who was born and raised in County Cork to Nigerian parents, was targeted online after coming on as a substitute in Saturday’s 20-13 Guinness Six Nations win over Italy, prompting the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to launch an investigation.
Itoje warned against the “corrosive” nature of social media, reflecting on the racist abuse directed at Edogbo and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior during a UEFA Champions League match earlier this week.
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Maro Itoje, who is set to make his 100th appearance for England in this weekend’s Six Nations match against Ireland at Twickenham, suggests the team’s long-term aim remains winning the World Cup.
“It’s very sad on two counts,” Itoje said. “While social media has had a positive impact in many ways, it has had a negative impact in many other ways.
“It’s very important, not just for athletes, but for the average person, not to live your life based on what’s said on social media. That’s a horrible way to live your life.
“I would advise all top-level athletes not to spend too much time on social media because it is extremely harmful, not only because of the negativity it contains, but also because of the effect it has on our brains.
“I think over the next few years we are going to see a tremendous amount of damage done to us as humans and as a society as a result of social media in terms of the brain and brain development.
“Secondly, the circumstances surrounding Edwin are obviously incredibly sad. This is a further reminder that no one should have to go through this and there is still work to be done.”
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Kevin Sinfield says Maro Itoje is a great role model for his England team-mates and is well deserving of his 100th cap against Ireland
Itoje argues that athletes need to have a social media presence for their careers, but the British Irish and Irish Lions captain urges caution when using social media, including not getting fooled by the hype.
“This is very dangerous. It can be corrosive not only in the negative case, but also in the positive case,” Itoje said.
“What often happens is that positive news tends to be very positive, negative news seems to be very negative, and in reality it’s always somewhere in between.”
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Liverpool manager Arne Slott says football must do more to combat racism following allegations of racist abuse against Vinicius Junior during a match between Benfica and Real Madrid.
Football governing body UEFA is investigating allegations of racist abuse against Vinicius Junior, and Itoje said this was just one example of a problematic culture.
Itoje continued, “This is a very sad incident that, if it actually happened, should be condemned with all the force.
“But what happened to Vinicius Junior… 30 years ago, it probably wouldn’t have even been reported. The referee would have told him to keep going. His teammates probably would have told him that.”
“So whether it’s Vinicius Jr. or Edwin Edogbo, what we’re seeing is very sad and we as a community need to continue to stamp out these types of incidents.
“But I also believe that, to some extent, we are moving in the right direction, although it is not a given that we are moving in the right direction.”
