Varsity women’s soccer student-athlete Victoria Jones, from Ajax, ON, is spending her summer both on the pitch and diving into a research project on professional athletes and social media. Jones is majoring in sociology and minoring in commerce and visual and material culture studies. The project examines engagement levels, audience sentiment, and media portrayal, comparing how athletes are received based on gender, race, and sport — investigating how these factors intersect and shape public responses to athlete activism. 

“As social media becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, it offers a powerful platform for individuals, beyond athletes, to influence social movements,” says Jones. “This research will help identify effective strategies for advocating for social justice and provide insights into the types of posts and messages that resonate.” 

Based on her current research, perceptions vary depending on sport, race, and gender and critiques differ based on the post, caption, and the personal brand of the athlete. 

Jones says conducting research at the undergraduate level has been an invaluable experience. 

“It has allowed me to develop closer ties with my supervisor [Dr. Patricia Kelly Spurles] and connect with various departments at Mount Allison, deepening my understanding of the opportunities available and the connections that can be made within the University.”  

She says the research process has enhanced her ability to integrate technology into data collection by using content scrapers to automatically collect and organize data. It has also opened her eyes to potential career paths. 

After Mount Allison, she has her sights set on a number of options, including entering a career in public policy, administration, or human resources; pursuing postgraduate studies in one of those areas; or completing a Bachelor of Education.