Some kids grow up wanting to become astronauts, rockstars, or even the President but in my world we all wanted to get drafted and play in the NHL. But only about 1 in 4000 kids that start out playing hockey make it to NHL. For those of us that did it came after hours spent on the ice, in the gym, countless injuries and sacrifices. So, you would think that after we walked through the media gauntlet after being drafted, we would relish that moment, which we did, for a few minutes, then we all wanted to check our phones to see who got verified.
So, what is the blue check mark anyway. Being verified on Twitter and Instagram is essentially the platform confirming that you, your product or business is actually authentic. Why is this so important? What can you even get out of being verified on social media anyway? Some celebrities use their status to promote themselves, boasting of how many followers they have. Some use it to promote their products or businesses, but some also use it to promote their causes and charities.
Matt Dumba and Mitch Marner are great examples of players who do just that. They used their social media presence to build a brand off the ice to better their communities. Matt Dumba, from the Minnesota Wild, partnered with Budweiser to create the Tape Out The Hate Foundation as well as promoting the Hockey Diversity Alliance in the fight against racism.
Mitch Marner, one of the youngest stars on the Toronto Maple Leaf’s partnered with Intact Insurance to promote his charity the Marner Assist Foundation. Partnering with a large company has helped him raise money for resources and events with proceeds going to the youth and children in his community.
Along, with all the great opportunities that being verified gives you there is also a huge downside. You become a target of hate mail, trolling, fake accounts, and constant messages from fans, business and basically anybody wanting to help promote you or want you to help promote them. So is it worth it?
At the end of the day, you don’t need that small blue checkmark to have a positive impact on social media. All it does is give their ideas and products more magnification. People like Dumba and Marner have inspired me and I hope that more people whether verified or not chose to use their voice in a positive way and ask themselves “What good can I do with my voice?”
What will you do with yours?
https://marnerassistfoundation.com/
https://hockeydiversityalliance.org/
Twitter: Verified for good or for evil? #Verified #TapeOutTheHate #MarnerAssistFoundation https://bit.ly/3zuBXkR
Facebook: Verified the good, the bad, the ugly which one will you follow? https://bit.ly/3zuBXkR
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
Great post, I always wondered what the requirements were for a blue checkmark (what level of celebrity or followers is required) and what, if any other features or opportunities it offered users. Interesting to see these two NHL players using their status for good.