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How has social media impacted the culture of skateboarding?

Jaunita Headingham

Social media has definitely had a massive impact on the culture of skateboarding. While the roots of skateboarding culture go back decades, the rise of social media has transformed the way skaters connect with each other, discover new tricks and styles, and share their experiences with the wider world.

One of the key ways that social media has impacted skateboarding is by creating an almost infinite platform for sharing videos of skateboarding. Videos have always been a core component of skateboarding culture, but in the past, getting your hands on a VHS tape of the latest skate videos meant tracking down a specialist shop or knowing someone with a tape. Today, with platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, skaters can share their videos online with a global audience in just a few clicks. This democratization of video sharing has led to a proliferation of new skaters, styles, and tricks, as well as a whole new generation of skateboarding fans who can't get enough of watching their heroes in action.

At the same time, social media also allows skaters to connect with each other in ways that were previously impossible. Skateboarding culture has always been about community, but social media has taken this to a whole new level. With just a few hashtags or clicks, skaters can connect with others from all over the world who share their passion for skating. This has created a tighter-knit, more globalized community of skaters than ever before, with an almost endless stream of new friends, mentors, and peers.

Alongside these positive impacts, of course, social media has also brought some less welcome elements to the skateboarding world. Like any online community, there are always detractors, trolls, and toxic personalities who can cause problems. Some argue that social media has led to a more commercialized, corporate skateboarding culture, with the focus on likes, views, and sponsorships overshadowing the core values of creativity and self-expression that have always been at the heart of skateboarding.

Overall, though, it's hard to deny the overwhelmingly positive impact that social media has had on the culture of skateboarding. From the way skaters connect with each other, to the global community that has emerged around the sport, to the opportunities for self-expression and creativity that social media has enabled, it's clear that the impact of social media on skateboarding culture will be felt for years to come.