The third theme I will discuss is Struggles, Stress and Suicide. Out of the 30 total athletes, most of the athletes who dealt majorly with stress and anxiety identified as female. This topic of this theme is a bit more complex to interpret. It could be interpreted as a strength, or as a weakness of male normative behavior.
(Screenshot from Hayden Hurst’s Tweet on December 3rd, 2020)
40% of male athletes have discussed about their issues with suicide or self-harm. I was surprised to see this, I was not expecting men to talk about such a deep topic, such as suicide on social media. Given that many male athletes have been socialized to be tough and not talk about their emotions. I was surprised to see this, I was not expecting men to talk about such a deep topic, such as suicide on social media. Given that many male athletes have been socialized to be tough and not talk about their emotions. The most notable and standout male athlete that discussed this issue was Hayden Hurst, a current tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals. He tweeted an interview of himself going into an in depth discussion about his years of struggle with suicide. Personally, I think it is a strength for male athletes to talk about something like that because suicide, especially about personal experience, is such a heavy subject. However, many people may see that as a sign of weakness because men should be expected to tough it up and move on.
(Screenshot from Lindsey Vonn’s Tweet on March 24th, 2021)
100% of female athletes discussed depression, anxiety, and their struggles with it in their tweets. This demonstrates gender normative behavior because women are often seen as discussing issues in their lives similar to this with each other. Most popularly, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka. Both of which had to take a leave of absence due to the amounts of stress they were facing.