Long and short of online abuse

Warriors playmaker Shaun Johnson has decided to sidestep social media after copping a whole lot of vitriol over his NRL side's losing streak.

As a broadcaster, being able to speak is a fairly standard prerequisite. However, I was reduced to speechlessness last Friday on Radio Sport while chatting with morning host Martin Devlin.

Jamie Mackay and I talk to Marty each weekday before we go on air to preview what's coming up on the Farming Show at midday. While this is the basis of our 'chats', it can go in many different directions depending on whether Marty's had his meds or if Jamie's particularly sensitive that day.

Last Friday Jamie was cycling a leg of the Farmstrong Fit4Farming Cycle Tour of New Zealand. Unfortunately, someone decided to take some photos of Jamie and his mates, the MAMILs (Middle Aged Men In Lycra). I sent the photos through to Martin's producer Haydn ONeill, accompanied with the text, "tight lycra, pasty white legs and a gap where a p^*#s should be".

Well, Marty picked up that ball and ran with it. When I spoke with him later that morning, he went ballistic with some quality gems like, "what happened to the sausage part of the sausage and eggs?", "we're calling it the Hurricanes, the only team not to make the playoffs", "keep the car, the money and everything else, you need as much compensation as you can possibly get!"

It went on mercilessly for the next few minutes: "I'd rather stand up and go to the toilet!", "was it cold that day?" "The runt of the litter!", "I think they made a movie about it, it was John Bobbitt before it got cut off." And then a pearl of wisdom about men in general: "It doesn't matter what your position or status is in life, when you're standing in the urinal THAT defines you, does it not?"

I was rendered speechless, crying with laughter as Marty's three-minute tirade reached a crescendo. The photos were then shared on various social-media platforms, giving everyone else a chance to have their say, as it were.

So, did Jamie choose to have the photos taken and shown to the world, or was it done surreptitiously? It happens all too often - people assume you want your life displayed on the interweb as much as they do. This is the line that should never be crossed. As much as you're entitled to tell us all what you eat, what you think and what you do, people also have the right to refrain from engaging in this manner. And this is the crux of the issue: choice.

It's been revealing to hear what Warriors playmaker Shaun Johnson has had to say about his social-media habits. After a string of losses to start the NRL season and the subsequent abuse, Johnson swore himself off various platforms until the Warriors snapped their colossal losing streak. He told Newstalk ZB's Tony Veitch the criticism was ridiculous and showed people are clueless about an athlete's life. He's probably correct on both points but the nub of the issue is, again, choice.

By choosing to indulge in any type of social media is opening yourself up to both vindication and criticism in equal measure. You have a choice whether to engage, , as Johnson clearly demonstrated by his abstinence.

I'm not arguing social media doesn't have a worth or value and I'm not defending some of the reprehensible abuse dished out but, as hard as may be for some to grasp, it is still a choice whether you take part. The more you dabble the broader the spectrum for others to 'have their say'.

It may be difficult for young people to refrain, the equivalent of not going to a party on a Saturday night, it may be tantamount to commercial suicide for a sportsman or brand to stay away, lest they risk becoming irrelevant. It may even be fraught with mental disillusionment for someone isolated from regular social interaction. But it is still a choice and therefore legislating against online abuse, as has been suggested, is fraught with all sorts of dilemmas.

The exception is having your image/thoughts/actions shared without your knowledge or consent. This is the murky area. And what about the things you post that you can't take back, like Farmer J's tweet last week predicting a Black Caps win in the World T/20 semifinal against England? Embarrassing episodes can paint an unfair picture of a person - just look at those snaps of Jamie in his lycra.

But perhaps I should give him the last word this week. He loves Twitter even more than lycra and prides himself on enlightening the masses with his cutting social commentary. Yesterday he quoted the Greek philosopher Aristotle of all people: "There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, be nothing".

- Dominic George hosts Farming First, 5am-6am weekdays on Radio Sport.