Beyond the game: issues with social media and sporting events

Society today is being transformed through the use of Social Media. While the resulting changes are typically marketed as having positive benefits on society, there is a negative side to Social Networking platform usage. This paper considers the case of Social Networking use for a perceived sports betting incident at the Super Bowl XLVIII with boxer Floyd Mayweather, to demonstrate the modified experience some users faced during the sporting event as a result of Social Media. Analysis of the broadcast of negative sentiments associated with inappropriate use and misinformation demonstrates how Social Networking allows opinions and ideas to be spread on a global scale. This paper presents how rumour can lead to ramifications beyond the Social Networking platform and can affect platform users. Analysis is conducted through a theoretical framework that reflects the presence of individual users and identifies their behaviour as active participants in the information exchange process