Yahoo News Thierry Henry has ‘had enough of talking’ as he urges accountability in fight against racism and online abuse
Thierry Henry says he has "had enough of talking" as he takes a key role in the fight against racism and other online abuse.
Last week, the Arsenal legend announced a personal boycott of social media, saying that the "sheer volume of racism, bullying and resulting mental torture to individuals is too toxic to ignore".
Henry said he was removing himself from the websites until technology companies "regulate their platforms with the same vigour and ferocity that they currently do when you infringe copyright", with his approach receiving support from the likes of Tottenham star Gareth Bale and England manager Gareth Southgate.
The 43-year-old has urged the need for greater accountability on social media while warning of the impact of abuse on mental health, particularly among the younger generations.
In conversation with Watford captain Troy Deeney in The Sun, Henry said: "We can go back to the whole history of our community.
"It wasn’t just yesterday, the day before yesterday, or the day before the day before yesterday. It’s been going on forever. In football, racism used to come from the stands. You play for Watford so you know how big John Barnes is, not only for Watford but for the game. I saw stories of John Barnes when I was young, of Marius Tresor when I was growing up in France.
"There are lots of stories. You have them. I have them. Everybody has them. But I talk, we talk, I talk, we talk, I talk, we talk. ‘What was it?’ ‘How did you feel?’ ‘Did you sleep well that night?’ ‘Did you wake up well?’ I talk, we talk, I talk, we talk - I’ve had enough of talking."
On the impact of abuse on mental health, Henry said: “Even if you have two million comments that are great, if you have one or two or three that aren’t, it has an impact on you. I’m a man, I’m 43, but I’m still trying to figure out what kind of person I can be. So just imagine when you are a kid and what it can do to your mental health.
“The sheer pressure of not being on Instagram or Twitter or whatever is second to none for kids. I’m always going to fight for my community and my sport. Being black and in football, I’ve seen too many people suffer.
“But let’s not forget about the rest. That’s why I mentioned bullying and harassment and the impact it can have on you mentally. People go to the extent of committing suicide. Not only black people are getting abuse on social media, not only football players.”
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