Twitterball II: LeBron James, Social Media and the New Culture of Pro Sport

In the middle of the biggest decision of his young professional life LeBron James showed up on Twitter of all places. During the week James had invited his friend, New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul, to participate in his Nike Skills Basketball Camp for young ballers. Paul apparently convinced James to start using Twitter. On July 5th, at 3:15pm James made his first tweet: ”Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building “Finally”. My Brother @oneandonlycp3 gas’d me up to jump on board so I’m here. Haaaa.”

Four days later James had sent seven tweets and accumulated 392,504 followers. He was one of top topics on Twitter in places like the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and Great Britain.

While James may have been new to the Twittersphere many of his NBA friends were regular users. The role that social media is playing in pro sports is a fascinating yet largely unexamined phenomenon. This week as the NBA free agent frenzy heated up we got a glimpse of how networked media is creating a new sport landscape and culture.

During the NBA free agency period no athlete was more active with social media than Chris Bosh, the young power forward who announced earlier this week that he was joining another NBA superstar, Dwayne Wade in Miami. During the eight days between the official beginning of free agency and LeBron’s July 8th announcement, Bosh sent forty-four tweets. Several of his tweets announced which team he was meeting followed by a quick note on how the meeting went. Bosh never revealed any sensitive details about the high-stakes meetings. Still, the posts opened up the process to his fans, journalists, and the public. ESPN’s signature show, SportsCenter, began reporting regularly on Bosh’s tweets.

Bosh managed to strike an interesting and even intimate connection with fans. He expressed his anxiety about the big decision that awaited him: “Trying to ease my nerves. Tried to take a nap, but I can’t sleep…” Some of his tweets struck a philosophical note: “it’s funny how years come down to hours and minutes.” Like LeBron and the other big name free agents a lot was on the line for Bosh. For him, D. Wade, and LeBron this was not about what free agency is usually about—getting paid. If that were the case they each would have stayed with their respective teams and commanded the “maxium salary” package allowed by the players collective bargaining agreement with the owners. For Bosh, D. Wade, and LeBron the decision was about history and legacy. In short, it was about winning multiple championships and cementing their place in sport history. Social media was a clear part of the path they traveled together.

After appearing in Chicago to meet individually with the hometown Bulls, Bosh and Wade had dinner together. Following dinner, Bosh posted a picture of the two together and tweeted, “Just had dinner w @dwadeofficial. Great way to end day 1 of #freeagency although it feels like someone is missing……” In between Bosh and Wade was an empty chair. It was classic social media practice–playful, social, and casual.

The pic and the tweet were clear references to LeBron.

Some journalists and NBA owners derided Bosh’s use of social media. Apparently some NBA owners were baffled and bothered by Bosh’s enthusiastic use of Twitter. They interpreted it as a sign of unprofessionalism and narcissism. It was reported that management from his former team, Toronto, considered Bosh’s use of social media a sign of disrespect and disregard for the organization. Another report suggested that the owner of the Chicago Bulls expressed concerns about Bosh’s character when rumors began to swirl that Bosh was bringing cameras into the meetings with the various teams that were trying to recruit him. Bosh used Twitter to fire back at that particular allegation, “I don’t film my meetings. I am a professional. Having control of your own media is a distraction, but when other networks do it, it’s not?”

Bosh clearly enjoyed sharing his thoughts throughout the free agency process via Twitter. These young men are part of a generational wave and cultural ethos that has fully incorporated social media into their everyday lives. A 26-year old does not view the sharing of his or her life via social media as odd or disrespectful. If you know anything about young people’s engagement with social media the streaming of their lives and the public nature of their friendshps—what I like to call life-sharing—is how they live. We live in a different culture and the norms related to privacy and publicity are evolving. Even James’ decision to announce his decision on live TV is symptomatic of the ways life in the age of social media and reality TV continue to blur the lines between privacy and publicity.

The backlash against pro athletes and their use of social, mobile, and reality-based media represents what is in many respects a generation gap between today’s pro athletes, franchise owners, and the journalists that cover them. Bosh was not being disrespectful or unprofessional, he was simply doing what has become quite normative in his generation: using social media to stream his thoughts, life, and social networks. LeBron knew that the whole sportsworld was following his very move. So why not go on Twitter. Kevin Durant, the up and coming superstar in Oklahoma City, announced his new contract agreement via Twitter earlier this week.

As we learn more about the decision that Bosh, Wade, and LeBron made to team up together in Miami we see how social and mobile media were key parts of the process. Although they live in different cities and played for different teams the three maintained a close connection through networked media. They formed a bond that led to a strong desire to play together even if it meant earning less money on the contracts they will sign. And they certainly used new media to help them wrestle with the challenges of free agency.

Something else struck me about the LeBron saga: pro athlete’s are using social media as a source of community, solidarity, and support. Almost immediately after LeBron announced his plans to play for Miami many of his critics began to charge him with cowardice, disloyalty, and selfishness. Many of his professional friends and colleagues came to his defense. Ocho Cinco, the outspoken Cincinnati Bengal football player offered this observation via Twitter, “so when a #freeagent leaves he’s a traitor but when a team cuts your ass its part of the business.” Ocho Cinco’s sentiments undoubtedly represent a generation of athletes who have become richer and bolder in the face of public scrutiny. (See Twitterball for a discussion of Ocho Cinco). Chris Paul, who earlier in the week convinced LeBron to start using Twitter posted this, “Glad bron finally got that off his chest…NO ONE can possibly imagine how tough that decision was for him…wish him all the best!!!” Paul also retweeted OchoCinco’s post.
And Bosh simply said, “Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

This is just a sample of the tweets that pro athletes posted in support of LeBron. It represents an interesting moment in the history of the modern day athlete. At a time when the media spotlight directs a constant and sometimes callous glare they are using social media to shine their own light, offer their own perspective, and craft their own public image. Many pro athletes are using new media platforms to discuss personal and professional matters. They are also using social media to “talk back” in a very visible way to a public that can sometimes be uncivil in their treatment. And as we see in the aftermath of LeBron’s decision to leave Cleveland athletes are also using social media as a way to maintain solidarity and show support for each other in the face of what they undoubtedly view as unfair public scrutiny.

Follow The Young and the Digital on Twitter @ scraigwatkins.

The Young and the Digital Interview w/MacArthur Foundation Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning

In a follow-up to a recent set of events I did an interview with the MacArthur Foundation Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning. Here’s an excerpt.

As the digital divide closes, thanks in no small part to mobile media, the question is no longer who’s using digital media, but how. Are African American youth engaging with digital in dynamic ways that will help them develop useful skills and greater capabilities?

You can read the full feature story here.

Another story on the Spotlight blog related to my research and a collaboration between the UNCF and MacArthur is here

Also, a great summary of MacArthur’s successful Digital Media and Learning conference held in San Diego can be read here.

Follow The Young and the Digital on Twitter @ scraigwatkins.

Changing the Conversation: Rethinking America’s Digital Divide

Over the last three weeks I’ve been involved in a series of events that address the changing digital media landscape. Flashback twelve years ago. In 1998 the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the third installment of its Falling Through the Net report. The graph below gives you a sense of the state of household internet access by race in 1998.

Whereas 30% of white households were accessing the internet only about 13% of Latino and 11% of black households had home internet access. That gap established the framework for what we know as the digital divide, the rise of the “technology rich” and the “technology poor.” Consequently, as we entered the new millennium the debate about technology and social inequality was focused squarely on the “access gap.”

Fast forward to today and profound shifts in the social and digital media landscape are apparent. Black and Latino kids are going online from a vast array of places–school, libraries, community tech centers, and home. Data from a variety of sources confirms that we have shifted from the “access gap” to what Henry Jenkins and others describe as the “participation gap.” What is the participation gap? Well, it’s a reference to the fact that as a more diverse population joins the digital world how do we begin to understand the different skills, interests, ethics, and cultures that produce different new media ecologies, literacies, and modes of participation in digital media culture?

Even though the access gap has closed in some corners of the digital world (though certainly not all; a huge age gap still persists) race, class, education, geography, and economics continue to matter in the digital world. In my presentations I have focused specifically on how African American and Latino youth, through sheer determination and innovation, are remaking the participation gap. Twelve years ago young blacks and Latinos hardly figured in the conversations about young technology users. The data today strongly suggests that they may in fact be leading the digital transition.

Here are a few of the points that I’ve been addressing in my public talks.

1. In 1999, when the Kaiser Family Foundation released its first national study investigating the media behaviors of 8-18-year-olds they found that black and Latinos were significantly less likely to go online from home than their white counterparts. Moreover, young whites spent more time online than black or Latino youth.

2. Ten years later the media environments of white, black, and Latino youth has changed significantly. In their 2010 report Kaiser finds that the amount of time young people spend using media throughout the day has risen sharply, especially among blacks and Latinos. When you combine all media used, multitasking and otherwise, Hispanic youth spend about 13.0 hours a day with media. Black youth spend just about as much, 12:59 hours whereas white youth spend 8.36 hours. Even more interesting: on a typical day young Latinos (1:49 hours) and blacks (1:24) are spending more time online than their white counterparts (1:17).

3. When it comes to mobile media the gap is even wider. According to Kaiser, black and Latino youth are the heaviest consumers of media content via the cell phone. Black youth spend the most time using their phones for music, games, and videos: almost an hour and a half (1:28), compared to 1:04 for Hispanics and 26 minutes among white youth.

4. Since 2004-05 we have learned from Amanda Lenhart, an analyst from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, that black and Latino youth are just as likely as young whites to create a social network profile. There is growing evidence that young blacks and Latinos are spending more time on social sites like MySpace and even Facebook and Twitter than young whites.

5. In our recent work with a group of black and Latino teens they talk passionately about the role of mobile phones in their lives. The mobile, quite simply, is the hub of their social and informational world. That’s true of a growing number of all young people. But African Americans, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, are more likely than their white or Latino counterparts to go online via a mobile phone than a desktop or laptop computer. They are emerging as early adopters of the mobile web.

When I spoke with Amanda at the MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Media and Learning conference this past weekend she said that Pew would soon be releasing results that further support my observations. We all know that mobile is the future. By 2020, according to one Future of the Net report, the majority of Americans will be accessing the internet via a mobile device. But the future is now for some internet users, especially for young African Americans.

Finally, in our research with black teenagers they offer a host of reasons for why they prefer going online from their mobile phones. Some believe it’s a more affordable on ramp to the online world. Some believe it is more reliable, that is, no need to worry about the old or broken down computers they encounter at school or at home. The main reason: their mobile device offers a more empowered online experience. Many schools have all but made going online a painful experience. Students can’t do the things they want to do–communicate with their peers, access Facebook, or “mess around” with technology. Libraries place time and content restrictions on what young people can do online. The mobile web, in short, limits the ability of adults to control what kids do online. This can be liberating and, at times, limiting.

Truth is, we do not know a lot about what young people are doing online with their mobile phones. What are the perils when young people’s participation in new media communities drifts further away from adults? Are teens sexting? What kinds of new literacies are they engaged in? Is the mobile web used principally to play games, listen to music, and watch videos? Or is it also used as an educational and informational resource? These are just some of the kinds of questions that need to be answered.

We will continue to update you from the field as we strive to learn more about how black and Latino youth are remaking the participation gap and, along the way, changing the conversations about technology and social inequality.

The Young and the Digital in 2010: Studying the Mini-Generational and Participation Gaps

Our research team will be quite active in 2010. In addition to continuing our work with various organizations and digital media educational efforts our research agenda sets its sights on two interesting aspects of the digital world. The first area stakes out a space to explore the generational shifts that are constantly remaking the social media landscape. The second area seeks to document and analyze the increasingly diverse makeup of the digital media world.

Generational Shifts
When I talk about my research with various organizations and colleagues around the world I am often asked: how does the use of social media change over time? In other words, what would a longitudinal study of social media behaviors reveal about the complex ways we participate in digital media culture? Recently, The New York Times posted an interesting piece, The Children of Cyberspace: Old Fogies by Their 20s that underscores the mini-generational gaps that make it difficult to talk in very broad terms about youth and digital media. Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, told the Times, “People two, three or four years apart are having completely different experiences with technology.”

The article points out that the digital media behaviors of 22-year old college students are very different than eighteen year old college students. It speaks to how quickly engagement with digital media evolves. We’ve been tracking this in our own research. Three years ago when we started collecting survey data from college age persons about their use of social network sites we asked this question: “How often do you check social network sites?” When we launched a new national survey two months ago (November 2009) we realized that the question–just three years old–appears outdated.

The question assumes that there are times in the day when young collegians are not connected, not updating their status, or not looking out for new content posted, for example, in their Facebook news feed. Young people are “always on,” that is to say, always connected to a device and their peers no matter if they are at school, work, the gym, bar, or even while driving. They are always connecting, sharing, and communicating. Today, the more relevant question might very well be, “when are you not on a social media platform?”

The survey project that we recently launched is designed to probe how the use of social media changes in a relatively short window of time. We know from our previous research that teens use of social media varies significantly from the college students usage of social media. Our latest project is designed to produce an evidenced-based portrait that compares and contrasts the social media practices of current college students with recent college grads. One of our hypothesis is that the motivation for using social media is marked, in large measure, by the various stages of the life-cycle. We believe that the intensity and types of participation in the social media world are constantly evolving in relation to external factors like work, family, and geographical mobility.

So, are college grads more or less likely than current college students to share personal information about themselves in Facebook? Do college grads find themselves using social media more or less often than college students? And does the composition of their network change in the transition from college to the professional world? These are just some of the questions that our research is poised to address in an effort to further illuminate the mini-generational distinctions that are part of social media world.

We will be posting some preliminary results and data points from the survey in the next few weeks.

Diversity and the Digital Media Participation Gap

In February, the MacArthur Foundation and the Digital Media and Learning Hub at the University of California, Irvine are hosting The Digital Media and Learning Conference. The theme for the inaugural event to be held in La Jolla, California is, Diversifying Participation.

Fifteen years ago the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the now famous report Falling Through the Net: A Survey of the “Have Nots” in Rural and Urban America. That report along with additional research from scholars, community activists, and policy makers established the framework for what is now known as the digital divide, a reference to the rise of the technology rich and the technology poor. The original digital divide narrative focused primarily on who did and did not have access to computers and the Internet. The belief, of course, was that those on the digital margins, often the poor, the rural, and less educated would fall farther behind their more affluent, suburban, and educated counterparts.

It did not take long for researchers to expand the focus of digital media and diversity beyond the question of access. More recently researchers have explored what is typically referred to as the participation gap– a recognition that as a more diverse population engages the digital media world they bring different skills, competencies, and interests to their online experiences. As the organizers of the Diversifying Participation conference write in their announcement, “Young people have differential access to online experiences, practices, and tools and this has a consequence in their developing sense of their own identities and their place in the world.” Trying to identify, document, and comprehend these different experiences and practices and what they mean for achieving a more equitable digital world represents an exciting stage of research.

One of the assumptions that accompanied the original digital divide narrative is that black, Latino, and working class communities, for example, were not engaged with social and mobile media technologies. The data that we have been collecting demonstrates just how wrongheaded that assumption is. Still, even as black and Latino youth are using technology their participation in the digital media world produces notable perils and possibilities.

I’m giving one of the keynote addresses for the Digital Media and Learning and Learning Conference. My presentation considers how the social media practices of black and Latino youth compel us to rethink the participation gap and the emergent issues surrounding their immersion in the digital world. I’ll also be talking about these issues at conferences at Ohio St. University, a community organization in Washington DC, and another MacArthur funded event at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

As these and other events approach I will be sharing my observations and presentations on this website.

The Young and the Digital on Ypulse

A number of organizations have made studying and understanding young people’s engagement with digital media a full time endeavor. One of the most innovative and interesting outfits studying young people’s use of digital media is Ypulse, a youth insights group operating in San Francisco and New York. In an interview with Ypulse I spoke with them about, among other things, how youth culture and lifestyles have changed since I began doing research for The Young and the Digital; the evolving role of games in our lives; a wired classroom for third graders; and kids, social media, and privacy.

You can read the interview here.