ABSTRACT
The dark side of digital leisure is also drawn attention to in work on abuse of young athletes via Twitter and the widespread discrimination evident on the basis of image, looks, sexuality, gender and race. The idea that digital leisure for young people is a bed of roses is rightly subjected to pulverising critique. Digital leisure cultures as a term is fraught with difficulty. Digital fan cultures in sport and music have subsequently developed and been an object of study – witness academic work on fan forums and fan identities. Sports personalities have also featured strongly in the new celebrity culture promoted by social media. Academics and commentators unfortunately write as if everybody in the world is digitally connected when there is massive unevenness in the form and content of connection. S. Zizek, especially muses on the acceleration of digital leisure cultures and the attendant homogenisation, miniaturisation and digitisation.
