Advantages and disadvantages of using technology in sport
Technology brings benefits to sport, but it also brings disadvantages. Sometimes the technology needs to be embedded and improved before it is fully effective and often the problems only emerge after time.
These tables highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of technology in sport.
For athletes
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Better performance – marginal gains make the difference | Invades privacy |
| Better medical care results in fewer injuries or faster recovery from injury | Blurs lines between personal and professional time |
| Feedback from coaches is more focused, objective and helpful | Availability and cost – makes sport and success exclusive to wealthy people and countries |
| Improved kit is more comfortable, more efficient and safer | Tempts athletes and coaches into cheating or unfair practices |
| Part of a team, not isolated | Puts the sole focus on winning not athletic endeavour |
| Advantages | Better performance – marginal gains make the difference |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Invades privacy |
| Advantages | Better medical care results in fewer injuries or faster recovery from injury |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Blurs lines between personal and professional time |
| Advantages | Feedback from coaches is more focused, objective and helpful |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Availability and cost – makes sport and success exclusive to wealthy people and countries |
| Advantages | Improved kit is more comfortable, more efficient and safer |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Tempts athletes and coaches into cheating or unfair practices |
| Advantages | Part of a team, not isolated |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Puts the sole focus on winning not athletic endeavour |
For officials
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Supports team approach so there is less pressure on individuals | Slows the game |
| Information can be shared easily and quickly and stored over time | Not available at all levels of competition |
| Decisions and scoring are more reliable and accurate | No longer trust people's decisions |
| There is increased confidence and trust in officials | Undermines respect for officials' knowledge and expertise |
| Undermines honesty, integrity and the spirit of fair play |
| Advantages | Supports team approach so there is less pressure on individuals |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Slows the game |
| Advantages | Information can be shared easily and quickly and stored over time |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Not available at all levels of competition |
| Advantages | Decisions and scoring are more reliable and accurate |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | No longer trust people's decisions |
| Advantages | There is increased confidence and trust in officials |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Undermines respect for officials' knowledge and expertise |
| Advantages | |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Undermines honesty, integrity and the spirit of fair play |
For spectators
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| More engaged in the sport | Detracts from actual play |
| More informed about rules, players etc | Reduces the atmosphere at live events |
| Have a direct link to athletes | Reduces interest in grass roots events that aren't supported by technology |
| Increases spectator/broadcaster costs | |
| Enables trolls to attack individual athletes |
| Advantages | More engaged in the sport |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Detracts from actual play |
| Advantages | More informed about rules, players etc |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Reduces the atmosphere at live events |
| Advantages | Have a direct link to athletes |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Reduces interest in grass roots events that aren't supported by technology |
| Advantages | |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Increases spectator/broadcaster costs |
| Advantages | |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Enables trolls to attack individual athletes |
For sport generally
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Increases participation | Detracts from intensity of the game |
| Promotes new and alternative opportunities | Reduces emotional wellbeing that comes from escaping digital pressures/routines |
| Supports less-wealthy sports to promote themselves | Increases costs to sports and participants |
| Leads to more coverage and revenue | Sponsors more interested in technology than sport or athletes |
| Adds glamour | |
| Improves safety |
| Advantages | Increases participation |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Detracts from intensity of the game |
| Advantages | Promotes new and alternative opportunities |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Reduces emotional wellbeing that comes from escaping digital pressures/routines |
| Advantages | Supports less-wealthy sports to promote themselves |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Increases costs to sports and participants |
| Advantages | Leads to more coverage and revenue |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Sponsors more interested in technology than sport or athletes |
| Advantages | Adds glamour |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages |
| Advantages | Improves safety |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages |
For sponsors
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Association with well-performing sportsperson or team makes people more likely to want to buy the sponsor's product | If a team or individual does not perform well or does something negative such as taking performance-enhancing drugs, then the association with them may make people not want to buy the sponsor's product |
| Advantages | Association with well-performing sportsperson or team makes people more likely to want to buy the sponsor's product |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | If a team or individual does not perform well or does something negative such as taking performance-enhancing drugs, then the association with them may make people not want to buy the sponsor's product |
Question
Identify one benefit and one problem of using technology to support disabled performers in sport.
Your answer might include:
Benefits - improve access to facilities, provide adapted equipment, raise the sport's profile, increase spectators' knowledge, and enhance athletes' achievements, eg faster/more mobile
Problems - increase costs; excludes those who can't access the technology; unfair advantage for some