Australia's Olympians have been asked if they are going to Rio "to tweet or compete," as the Australian Olympic Committee warns athletes "against falling for the social media pitfalls that dogged the team in London," according to David Sygall of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. At a briefing in Sydney, athletes were shown interviews with Gold Medalists Anna Meares and Sally Pearson, who said that they "switched off their social media accounts once in the athletes' village to eliminate the distraction." They also heard from swimmer Emily Seebohm, who said that "using Instagram, Facebook and Twitter during the Games had cost her a Gold Medal." Australia Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller said, "Our athletes in London didn't understand, and we didn't understand either, the dangers or the distraction. We were worried about what people might say [online], but we weren't concerned about the distraction. We now know that." But "not every athlete is distracted by social media, which is why it is such a tricky issue." For some, it is a "valuable tool to stay in touch with loved ones and reduce time wasted responding to text messages, emails and calls." The middle ground, the authorities are finding, "is to educate athletes and leave the decision to them" (SMH, 12/16).
