Carlos Sainz has made an emotional appeal to the media to put a stop to online abuse. The Spanish driver emphasizes that online platforms within Formula 1 play a significant role in fostering miscommunication and spreading biased opinions, making social media increasingly ‘toxic’, according to him. Sainz hopes that less division will be sown in the future.
“Social media is a very toxic place,” Carlos Sainz told the media in Abu Dhabi. “It always has been. That’s why I want to ask the mainstream media to take responsibility. Understand that the way you inform and write articles can cause division. Less educated or less understanding fans, who have a certain prejudice, should also be able to understand how this sport works. Because right now, everyone is just becoming more hostile.”
Spreading Division
Sainz explained that a certain form of reporting can fuel ‘misunderstandings’ and ‘miscommunication’. Publications that heavily rely on clickbait would particularly sow division among Formula 1 enthusiasts. The Williams driver suggested a correlation between the quality of reporting and the negativity on social media.
“Some media have a way of informing that is heavily dependent on clickbait, but that often leads to misunderstandings and miscommunication,” said Sainz. “And that just makes people more prejudiced and hostile. Social media is absolutely not a healthy place at the moment,” concluded the 30-year-old driver. “I’m not a big fan either, but let’s all try to help the people at home – who are already feeling frustrated about this or that – not to jump to conclusions too quickly.
