Memo: Think before tweeting

NZ men's sprint team Sam Webster, Ethan Mitchell and Eddie Dawkins (above) celebrate their gold medals

NZOC sets out guidelines on good social media behaviour to Games athletes

Every New Zealand athlete in Glasgow has received a 14-page document telling them how to behave on social media.

The move comes after controversy at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, including Rebecca Torr's escapades on dating application Tinder that attracted negative, if unintended, attention. Several members of that team also reacted angrily and improperly on social media to criticism of their performances.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee is looking to avoid any repeats, sending every member of the team a document outlining the behaviour expected of them in cyberspace.

Put simply, the aim of the NZOC is to inspire Kiwis and enable the country's athletes to achieve on the world stage, and social media "can both abet and hinder" that goal.

According to NZOC media manager Ashley Abbot, one of the main themes of the guide emailed to athletes before the Glasgow Games was showing respect for themselves, their team and their country.

"Because social media's growing so fast, and we estimate we have 70 per cent of our team using social media, we think it's really important that we're clear about what's a good idea and what's not a good idea," she said.

"Especially for the less high-profile athletes, they may not realise the interest in them and the type of thing that a normal person might be able to get away with."

While some of those instances are obvious - a certain All Black's selfie and a Warrior's home movie spring to mind - others follow in the vein of Michael Jordan's famous axiom about discussing politics: Republicans buy shoes, too. Under a heading titled "Be Aware", athletes are instructed to avoid "demonstrations of a political, religious or social propaganda that may draw unwanted attention", and "entering into conversations that could implicate you with an issue or negative situation".

If that sounds tantamount to a gagging order, the guide does explain the benefits of such an approach. Athletes are told they can improve their brand, attract sponsors and enhance job prospects for life after sport.

Failing to follow the guidelines, on the other hand, will harm their own reputation and damage that of those who have worn the silver fern at previous Games, and those who will follow in their footsteps.

NZ sport has yet to truly experience the full force of a social media storm - the type of homophobic or racial rant that invariably leads to an athlete claiming their Twitter account was hacked - and, by the looks of the guide, the NZOC is intent on keeping it that way.

Dos and Don'ts

The social media dos and don'ts for Kiwi games athletes:

Do:

• Be kind to others. Behave professionally and in a manner which reflects the spirit of the Commonwealth Games.

• Take care of others, and alert an official immediately if you become aware of inappropriate conduct.

• Be positive - people will make assumptions about what you're like, based on what you write and say.

Don't:

• Engage in harassment or make any sexist or racist remarks.

• Say anything that you wouldn't say if you were speaking in public.

• Get sued. Under UK law you will be liable for anything you say that could be considered defamatory.