College athletics are cut-throat competitive in any sport, and social media does not help keep teams on a “friendly competition” spirit. When it was announced that SMU was the number 1 seed for equestrian, there were tons of Karens on Facebook having temper tantrums since SMU was not in a conference and was still allowed to be ranked number one. It is true that all other teams competed in conferences whether SEC, Big 12, or ECAC (the old conference for SMU). Instead of congratulations for our 10-1 season and a “well done” for being the only team that did not have two or more losses, our accomplishment was met with disparagement and criticism. 

The mission statement of the NCAA states in part, The highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship. The pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics,” but social media gave critics the platform to question all our hard work and to create conflict and tension when good sportsmanship calls for a genuine congratulations. 

Sadly, I think social media has taken away sportsmanship at almost every level, not just NCAA sports. Social media allows people to hide behind a computer instead of having conversations or expressing concerns in a professional manner. We cannot as a team control what other people say, but we can ignore negativity and believe that our team is number one because we have earned the spot through our hard work and dedication. And then we go and prove it at nationals.