England Captain Speaks Out on Social Media Dangers Following Racist Abuse Incidents
England captain Maro Itoje has spoken out against the harmful impact of social media following racist abuse directed at Ireland’s Edwin Edogbo after his international debut.
Edogbo, who was born and raised in County Cork to Nigerian parents, was subjected to online abuse after appearing as a substitute in Saturday’s 20-13 Guinness Six Nations win over Italy. The incident has prompted an investigation by the Ireland Rugby Football Union (IRFU).
Itoje addressed both the abuse suffered by Edogbo and similar treatment of Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr during a UEFA Champions League match this week, highlighting concerns about social media’s destructive influence.
The Dual Nature of Social Media
“It’s very sad on two fronts,” Itoje explained. “Social media has been a force for good in many ways, but it’s been a force for negativity in a lot of other ways.
“It’s really important for athletes, as well as ordinary people, not to live their life based on what social media says about them. It will just be a horrible way to live your life.”
The England captain advised elite athletes to limit their time on social media platforms, citing the damaging effects on mental wellbeing and cognitive development.
“I’d advise all top-level athletes not to spend too much time on social media because it’s really corrosive, both from the negativity that’s on there but also what it does to our brains,” he said.
“I think we’re going to see in the coming years a huge amount of damage that has been done to us as humans and as a society as a result of social media in terms of brains and brain development.”
Condemning Racist Abuse
Regarding the treatment of Edogbo, Itoje was unequivocal: “Secondly, the stuff around Edwin is obviously incredibly sad. It’s something that no one should have to go through and it’s a further reminder that there’s still work to do.”
The Dangers of Extreme Reactions
While acknowledging that athletes need social media presence for career purposes, the British and Irish Lions skipper warned against being influenced by either praise or criticism online.
“It’s very dangerous, not only for the negativity but even when it is positive it can be corrosive,” Itoje said.
“What tends to happen is positive news tends to be extremely positive and negative news seems to be extremely negative and in reality you are always somewhere in the middle.”
Signs of Progress Despite Ongoing Problems
Addressing the incident involving Vinicius Jr, which UEFA is investigating, Itoje suggested that whilst such events remain deeply troubling, there has been some progress in how they are addressed.
“We have these incidents that happen which are terribly sad and they should be condemned with full force when they do happen,” he said.
“But what happened to Vinicius Jr… 30 years ago that probably wouldn’t have even made the press. The referee would have told him to get on with it. His team-mates probably would have said that to him.
“So while the stuff we’re seeing, whether it’s Vinicius Jr, whether it’s Edwin Edogbo, they are terribly sad and we as a community need to keep on stamping this type of thing out.
“But I do also believe that we are moving in somewhat the right direction, although moving in somewhat the direction is not a given.”
