England striker Alessia Russo says she has chosen to stay away from social media during major tournaments as she is aware of how “damaging” abuse on the platforms can be.

The Arsenal’s forward’s comments come after the British No 2 tennis player Katie Boulter told BBC Sport that receiving death threats and abusive messages on social media was “the norm”.

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A joint report released Tuesday by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Tuesday found in 2024, tennis players received abuse so threatening that 15 cases were escalated to law enforcement agencies.

Russo, 26, explained she decided to come off social media ahead of the 2023 World Cup after feeling “caught in a trap” at times when scrolling on sites during the 2022 European Championship.

Asked about Boulter’s experiences, Russo replied: “I think every player might have a different story about that side of the game, but it’s definitely one that can be really damaging. I have faced it in the past and I think most players here have.

“When I was younger I probably got sucked into it more. I read it more than I should have and listened to it more than I should have. The only opinions that matter are my team-mates, my coaches and my family. I think you have to remember that they are the people you need to lean on in tough times.

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“As I’ve gotten older, I understand more what works for me. In my first Euros, I was on social media and I would have a look, have a scroll, and I got caught in a trap sometimes.

“Going into the World Cup, I completely came off everything and I had people to run my Instagram. I just focused on the tournament. It’s personal preference and whatever works for the team. Staying away from it and staying focused as a team is what works for me.”

Russo was part of the England squad that reached the final of the 2023 World Cup, with a joint FIFA and FIFPRO report finding one in five players at tournament were targeted with “discriminatory, abusive or threatening messaging”.

As England prepare to defend their European title at Euro 2025, midfielder Ella Toone said there was no blanket team rule for social media usage on international duty, rather it was down to “personal preference”.

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“It’s individual,” Toone added. “Whenever we go to a tournament, it’s individual. It’s what people want to do. I know that my decision might be different to someone else’s and I have to respect that decision.

“I do like to scroll Instagram! But I know other people turn their phones off. We have that conversation and all know how each other wants to go through the tournament. We respect each other’s decision.

“If I see something on Instagram, I’m not going to tell someone or blurt it out to the team because they don’t want to see it. I think it’s a personal preference.”

Following June’s friendly against Jamaica, England begin their Euro 2025 campaign against France on July 5.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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