Neville Southall tackles... The toxicity of Twitter

Neville Knows Best — In his column 'Neville Knows Best', footballing legend turned internet sensation Neville Southall takes on the biggest issues of our time. This week, he reflects on his time on Twitter - from the trolls and the insults to learning about and supporting some of the most marginalised groups in society.

I have found being on Twitter good, bad and just plain ugly all at the same time. I thought originally it would be nice to have a good connection with a lot of Everton fans. It has turned into something completely different, and 95% enjoyable.

The good thing Twitter does for me is it limits the stuff I can say, so for me that is good as once I make a point I do tend to drone on a bit. My brain works like Twitter: short sharp bursts of thought. People think I write poetry, but really I put down how I think in short sharp bursts of ok stuff, followed by mostly inane rubbish.

I have met some brilliant people on Twitter and had great advice. I started looking at LGBTQ+ people’s tweets as I work in a school and wondered what would happen if any kids asked me about any LGBTQ+ issues, and unfortunately I had no idea. Luckily I found a couple of fantastic people who gave me a much better understanding of what it is like to be in that community.

They also passed me on to others who made me realise how little I knew about how kids come out and the amount of abuse they can get. I know a few trans women on Twitter, and talking to them made me aware of what horrible times they can have while coping with transitions and bigotry in society.

This is just to annoy any smurfs or turfs or whatever they are called
Some of the best people I have met on here are trans people
They have lots of shit to put up with but show lots of dignity doing it

— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) April 11, 2018

I have become an ambassador for one LGBTQ+ supporters club for Everton, and an LGBTQ+ charity. There is still terrible ignorance about the LGBTQ+ world, especially in football and that needs breaking down. I am determined to help make that happen.

I have also met some great people who work with homeless people, and I found the stigma around them again to be pure ignorance. We cannot accept homelessness in this day and age. It is fixable if governments get their heads together and stop pretending they cannot do anything.

The other issues I deal with are mental health, which again is a  massive problem. Cutting the funding available is actually killing people, I want to help change way we do things in the UK.

I want to take the fight to the Tories as I believe they are deliberately cutting funding to the poorest and want rid of them.

It is now that I go into the negative side of Twitter. I have recently let a sex worker group take over my Twitter to help their cause, and the amount of abuse I have got is ugly. It is all because I have given them a platform to raise awareness about their struggle – these people want workers rights to keep themselves safe. This has resulted in people having a real go at me with personal abuse, but it has just made me more determined than ever to help out groups of people who never get a chance to talk or be listened to by our society.

Get back in goal, you thick binman.

— Ann Timpson Hay (@TimpsonHay) April 10, 2018

I believe Twitter can be used for good, but obviously a lot of the time it is faceless cowards who are not interested in anything than just abusing people.

The funny thing is it is my Twitter page, but so many want to tell me what opinions to have. I find it fascinating they believe what I put on there is not my opinion and I must change it to theirs. Also, out there are groups of people who think theirs is the only opinion that matters, even when people on the shop floor are telling them what they need they still completely ignore it.

Just while I am upsetting people
I think LGBT people are great
I support labour
I support NHS
Want sex workers to get what they want to keep them safe
I hate racism
Hate domestic violence
Hate the fact we have any homeless
Hate mental health cuts

— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) April 10, 2018

Social media can help lots of people stay in contact, and knowing what I know now this contact can actually save lives. I have learnt  a lot on Twitter, and want to continue to learn.

If you disagree with me in what I say then let’s have a discussion because I am happy to be convinced differently. Shouting abuse into the internet will not do anyone any good. I think everyone probably knows that already, so I don’t know why people keep doing it.

I hope Twitter can help me help a lot of people.

Neville

Follow Neville Southall on Twitter

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. 

 


Ad

Latest on Huck

Crowd of silhouetted people at a nighttime event with colourful lighting and a bright spotlight on stage.
Music

Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists

We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Indoor skate park with ramps, riders, and abstract architectural elements in blue, white, and black tones.
Sport

In England’s rural north, skateboarding is femme

Zine scene — A new project from visual artist Juliet Klottrup, ‘Skate Like a Lass’, spotlights the FLINTA+ collectives who are redefining what it means to be a skater.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Black-and-white image of two men in suits, with the text "EVERYTHING IS COMPUTER" in large bright yellow letters overlaying the image.
Culture

Donald Trump says that “everything is computer” – does he have a point?

Huck’s March dispatch — As AI creeps increasingly into our daily lives and our attention spans are lost to social media content, newsletter columnist Emma Garland unpicks the US President’s eyebrow-raising turn of phrase at a White House car show.

Written by: Emma Garland

A group of people, likely children, sitting around a table surrounded by various comic books, magazines, and plates of food.
© Michael Jang
Culture

How the ’70s radicalised the landscape of photography

The ’70s Lens — Half a century ago, visionary photographers including Nan Goldin, Joel Meyerowitz and Larry Sultan pushed the envelope of what was possible in image-making, blurring the boundaries between high and low art. A new exhibition revisits the era.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Silhouette of person on horseback against orange sunset sky, with electricity pylon in foreground.
Culture

The inner-city riding club serving Newcastle’s youth

Stepney Western — Harry Lawson’s new experimental documentary sets up a Western film in the English North East, by focusing on a stables that also functions as a charity for disadvantaged young people.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Couple sitting on ground in book-filled environment
Culture

The British intimacy of ‘the afters’

Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.