‘It is Frightening’ – Steffi Graf Opens up About the Negative Impact of Social Media

Steffi Graf and women’s tennis are often called around together. One of the greatest players of all time, the German international held the top spot in the WTA rankings for a record 377 weeks. In her gracious career, she won 22 Grand Slam titles, along with a number of other accolades.

Away from the court, the legendary star, like her compatriots, stays connected to the game and all things happening around it. Like most of her colleagues, Graff is also social-media-savvy. Even though she considers social media to be a good platform to communicate, she recently opened up about its negative effects.

Steffi Graf elaborates on the negative impact of social media

Being one of the most prominent celebrity players to date, Steffi Graf recently featured on the cover of Vogue’s June issue. Adding on to that, she also indulged in a conversation with the prestigious fashion magazine. While she spoke on a variety of topics in the interview, the most eye-catching moment came when she spoke about the negative impacts of social media.

Notably, the interviewer asked Graff whether she feels there’s added pressure on public figures since the growth of social media.

Taking the question with grace, Graff started by saying, “Absolutely, without question. Of course, the younger generation grows up with it almost as a matter of course.”

“But the constant desire to communicate, this public awareness and how to deal with it have become almost a must. In any case, it has become more difficult to concentrate on the essentials, to find the right balance,” she further added.

Having been on social media for a long time now, the legendary player knows the nooks and corners of the platform. As mentioned earlier, she considers social media to be a good medium for many. However, she also has an eye for the potential danger it comes with.

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She further added, “There are some who get an awful lot out of it, a lot of self-confidence. But of course it can also have the opposite effect very quickly. This is where I see the danger in particular – whether with athletes, someone at home or a school child.”

Steffi Graf on how social media impacts the mental health of children

Retiring from the sport in 1999, Graf’s career remains one of the most looked upon in tennis history. However, what comes as a cherry on the top is her engagement with social causes after her retirement. Since her retirement, Steffi Graf has kept herself busy with different social causes. One of the major ones being the mental health of children.

Talking about the same, she said, “We constantly talk to psychotherapists who confirm that there are more and more children with mental health problems at a young age. The numbers keep growing.”

Elaborating on how social media is influencing the mental health of young children, Graff said, “Here’s what we see in our neighborhood in Las Vegas: Violence in schools has increased and taken on significant proportions, whether between students or aggressive behavior towards teachers.”

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Steffi Graf is remembered for her fearless attitude on the court. Going back in time, one can recall the right-handed player who fearlessly outplayed her opponents. However, seeing the current situation, Graff also feels frightened.

Hoping to have things getting better, Graff ended by saying, “It is frightening. I don’t want to be so negative, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that things are changing, especially among children and young people.” 

Do you agree with Graf’s comments about the negative impact of social media today? Let us know in the comments below.