Andy Murray and wife Kim are shielding their four children from social media to protect them from “damaging” platforms.
The news comes after British tennis ace Katie Boulter disclosed the torrent of abuse she encounters following games. The British No.1 revealed she had been subjected to “disgusting” messages, primarily from disgruntled gamblers issuing death threats.
Other tennis stars have shared similar experiences, with Murray conceding that he has also received vile messages. Reflecting on the “hostility” he confronted earlier in his career and the challenges of dealing with hateful comments, Murray told the BBC: “I think it’s positive any time anyone can speak out about it.
It’s great that [Katie] talked about it. Athletes across all sports have been discussing this for a long time, but it hasn’t really changed. Hopefully something can get done soon.”
While the two-time Wimbledon champion is unsure of a solution to online abuse, he said that he and Kim intend to keep social media out of reach for their children, reports the Express.
“Me and my wife are trying to keep our children off social media until they are much older, because I think it can be pretty damaging,” he added.
Murray’s children are all between the ages of nine and four, with some social media platforms setting the minimum age at 13. The Government’s Online Safety Act is being implemented in efforts to shield users from illegal or harmful content, with a particular focus on enhancing child safety protocols.
However, statistics from the WTA Tour disclosed that last year, professional female players received over 8,000 abusive messages, leading to calls for tech moguls like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to do more.
“I don’t know whose responsibility it is, I don’t know if the government needs to do more to tackle it, or [X owner] Elon Musk and people like that can do more to stop these messages getting through to individuals,” said Murray.
“I don’t mean just athletes, but then you get into the whole debate around free speech and it’s a difficult one.
The Scottish legend also advised fellow athletes to be prudent by “trying to avoid looking at the comments and going on our phones immediately after matches.” However, he acknowledged that players shouldn’t have to change their behaviour to avoid online harassment.
