The Olympic Games as a Multicultural Environment and Their Relationship with Social Media

Abstract

‘Multicultural’ can be defined as relating to or containing several cultural or ethnic groups within a society and is used to encompass different cultures, groups, and relationships within a specific context. The sporting context of the Olympic Games could be considered a multicultural environment in addition to being a multi-sport environment and a mega sporting event. It is also an arena for intercultural adaptation as the athletes, event staff, visitors and audience are exposed to social media at the event. The athletes establish and maintain relationships among each other and with others in their own countries and the international audience also interacts and communicates with the athletes and the Games via social media. This communication and interaction affect and reinforce the intercultural adaptation and the multi-cultural environment of the Olympic Games. Much has been made of the preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the media dubbing the games the most ‘futuristic’ yet, given the advanced technology and innovation of Japan. Social media is considered an important component of the Olympic games, in the lead up to and at each edition of the games. These aspects of sport and social media at the Olympic Games are of interest due to their interaction and the creation and reinforcement of a multicultural environment. This paper will explore the social media impact and the multicultural environment of the Olympic Games through a review of social media usage leading up to the Tokyo 2020 games.