While doxxing, trolling, and other forms of cyberbullying may not seem like major issues, they constantly trouble young children and have even ruined many lives. In response to this, parents are more cautious with their children. And that included Shaquille O’Neal as well. But he believes that fortunately, his kids did not face the intense issues he encountered while growing up.

When host Sonya Curry asked O’Neal about the lessons that he learned from his parents and passed on to his kids, O’Neal highlighted the differences between the two eras. He discussed how his children face challenges related to social media, whereas kids in his era dealt with issues such as racism, drug addiction, and other serious concerns. 

“I had a lot of trials and tribulations growing up. My kids don’t really have a lot of trials and tribulations. They have silly trials and tribulations called social media. When I was coming up, it’s you walk that way, they’re shooting. You’re walking that way, they’re selling drugs. You’re walking this way, racism,” O’Neal said.

He added, “So I had a lot of stuff to deal with, even on the little army base. My kids don’t have to deal with that. I try to be a voice of reason. And, all the stuff that she taught me, I try to, you know, translate to them.” 

Although social media issues may seem less severe in comparison to the problems that kids from the Lakers legend’s era faced, these are extremely damaging.

Despite these challenges, O’Neal strives to instill the perfect values and ethics in his children. The Big Aristotle is one of the few personalities who has spoken about the proper use of social media.

Shaquille O’Neal bashed athletes for not using social media the right way

As many would agree, social media has become the keystone of society. It can inform and influence people, just as O’Neal believes. It can be used to send powerful messages and connect with people. However, O’Neal thinks athletes use it for the wrong purposes, such as sharing trivial matters or daily life activities.

In his book Shaq Uncut, O’Neal shares how athletes flaunting their daily activities turn him off. “You have to be careful how you use the social network. I get really turned off by people who tweet every detail about their lives, even if they are superstars,” O’Neal wrote.

“If you handle it properly, the social network is a very valuable tool. You can use it to get your message out, you can use it to sell things, and you can use it to communicate with people,” he further claimed.

While he often posts fun videos or memes to make his followers laugh, he also uses the same platform to share important messages. He has noted how social media can be used to sell products and cut to the present. We see a whole new market based on these platforms. The Los Angeles Lakers legend was undeniably right about these facts and still upholds those views.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.