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Messi Marks Instagram Milestone Of 200m Followers With A Call To Action Against Online Abuse

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BEVERLY HILLS, May 01, (THEWILL) – On the auspicious occasion of the landmark crossing of 200 million followers on the American photo and video sharing social networking service, Instagram, the Argentina and Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi embarked on a sensitisation campaign to draw more attention to the ongoing fight against vile and vicious abuses on social media.

The immeasurably talented, record-setting striker considered it of greater importance to expound on the vice that has caused so much grief to victims, that have included many sportsmen and women, especially but not limited to Persons of Colour (POCs), and for which a series of campaigns have begun to force the social media platforms to act, rather than celebrate this milestone.

Messi’s message, which began with his acknowledgment of the landmark, wasted little time before directly striking at the heart of the issue: “I see I’ve just reached the 200 million people following me on this network, however, what’s happening today, I’m not going to take it as a reason to celebrate.

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“Of course I appreciate all the love and support I always receive from you, but I think it’s time to give importance to all the people who are behind each profile, we realize that behind each account there is a person of flesh and bone, who laughs, cries, enjoys and suffers, human beings with feelings.”

The captain used the opportunity to initiate a call-to-action: “Let’s raise our voice to stop abuse on social media. It doesn’t matter if we’re anonymous, celebrities, athletes, referees or fans of a game, even someone alienated all of this, doesn’t matter race, religion, ideology or gender… No one deserves to be mistreated or insulted.

“We lived to see and experience abuse, getting worse and worse on each of the networks, without anyone doing anything to prevent it. We must strongly condemn these hostile attitudes and demand companies that manage the networks to take urgent action against these behaviours.”

To better put the milestone to good use, Messi pleaded for ambassadors of change from his followership: “I wish you, the 200 million people who accompany me, could become the 200 million reasons that exist to make networks a safe and respectful place, where we can share what we want without fear of be insulted… and stay forever out of them insults, racism, abuse and discrimination.

“For those of you who are part of these networks and who are always with me, I hope you will join me and support me in this crusade. Big hug to all and congratulations to all the football people in the UK for their idea of rigging the campaign against abuse and discrimination on networks.”

The message which ended with the hashtags “#BastaYa” “#StopOnlineAbuse” and “#EnoughlsEnough” is Messi’s contribution to the contemporary fight against the scourge of online abuse whose rampant spread is taking more vicious proportions because of the cloak of privacy offered by social media platforms. Messi believes his followers can help to begin a change process that can make a positive difference in the online space.

Messi’s campaign dovetails with that already begun in England. As reported by THEWILL, the English Football Association (FA), the English Premier League (EPL), the English Football League (EFL), the FA Women’s Super League and other organisations collectively decided on a boycott of social media this weekend in protest of the unhealthy situation faced by those at the receiving end of this sort of abuse.

The scheduled withdrawal from the services which started from 3pm on Friday, April 30 will continue until 11:59pm on Monday, May 3.

These main bodies of football administration in England were joined in their boycott by the Women’s Championship, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the League Managers Association (LMA), the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), Kick It Out and the Football Supporters Association (FSA).

These actions may not immediately end the issue but they demonstrate a willingness to do something about it and create the avenue for concrete steps to begin.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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