The insidious train of social media abuse has become a regular fixture in the lives of professional footballers in recent years.

Calls for social media companies to silence the abusers and protect the victims are yet to stimulate tangible change in the digital spaces in which so much of our lives now take place.

With instances of footballers being subjected to abhorrent abuse on a weekly, if not daily, basis, and regularly documented through screenshots of direct messages and tweet replies, the Premier League and all 20 clubs staged a social media boycott between Friday 30 April and Monday 3 May.

It was the most coherent act of resistance we’ve seen from a set of elite institutions and a significant indicator of the times we live in. But one act of solidarity won’t stem the tide.

That was merely the beginning of a progressive journey for football and society as a whole, and now it’s the players turn to take action.

Ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 competition, BT are fronting a new campaign to educate the nation on hate crime, the impact of our digital behaviour and how children should use social media, while also creating a support network for victims of cyberbullying.

At the forefront of this movement is Hope United, a diverse squad of 26 footballers from across the four Home Nations aiming to champion hope, not hate throughout the international festival of football.

Newcastle United’s Jamal Lewis, a Northern Ireland international who has enjoyed a promising maiden campaign in the North East since his £15m move from Norwich City last summer, is part of the Hope United squad which also includes Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson and Lucy Bronze.

The full contingent, who will be managed by Rio Ferdinand, is set to be announced on Wednesday this week.

Ahead of the squad release, Lewis spoke exclusively to GiveMeSport about his involvement in the project and the problems social media has created.

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“Hope United is a team formed by BT. The players are selected from the Home Nations and it's campaign that's rolling out during the Euros. I'm more than happy to be part of that. The campaign is to address online hate. It's been an issue for a while now but I've noticed it’s really come to light in the past couple of years. We've formed a team to address the issues and publicise that we're putting our foot down and standing against it.”

As Lewis says, social media abuse is far from a fresh phenomenon, but there has been a marked increase in recent years.

According to information from the anti-racism body Kick It Out, there was a 42% rise in reports of discrimination in the professional game during the 2019-20 season. That is only likely to have risen once again since football moved behind closed doors, with fans using social media as a vacuum to vent their frustrations.

For many fans, the success of their team is intrinsically linked to their mood. A a thumping 3-0 win at puts them on cloud nine but, equally, their entire week can be ruined by a humbling defeat.

Impulsively fans tend to criticise their players in light of a bad result, but that all too often spills over into the type of abuse Hope United will stand against this summer.

“For some people the problem is that they struggle to find the difference between criticism and hate. It’s a big problem,” said Lewis.

Jamal Lewis Newcastle United

“Then it spills over into racism, hateful comments and disgusting comments online, which there is just no need for. I understand that footballers are seen as idols, but we're people as well. We play and entertain for a living but also deserve respect as well - just like everyone else.”

Lewis taps into a pertinent issue regarding the relationship between fans and players. Their superstar status gives the illusion that they transcend the typical human experience, that they somehow operate in a different emotional realm to mere mortals.

Perhaps it is through our idols that perceptions can be altered.

We’ve already seen the stoic work Man United star Rashford has done to drive change in British politics since the start of the pandemic, feeding millions of children across the UK with his steadfast commitment in holding the government to account, forcing Boris Johnson into a number of U-turns over the removal of free school meals during school holidays.

His efforts have made him the youngest ever person to top The Sunday Times’ Giving List after raising £20m, exceeding his own net worth of £16m, in donations from supermarkets for groups tackling child poverty in the UK.

Jamal Lewis BT Sport Hope United

And with both him and Liverpool captain Henderson, who was at the forefront of the opposition to the botched European Super League proposal, spearheading the Hope United movement, the Euro 2020 tournament could be a significant turning point for the game.

“It's brilliant. It's essential (to have Rashford and Henderson on board),” said Lewis, visibility enthused by their respective inclusions.

“Marcus Rashford is doing many great things at the moment in the public eye. Jordan Henderson, Liverpool's captain and almost like a spokesman for all the captains in the Premier League. To have people of that stature on the same campaign lets everyone know that this is serious.

"These are figures that a lot of people look up to, not just at Manchester United or Liverpool, but in England as a collective and across the Home Nations. It's a big thing and it shows everyone that we're really serious about this.”

The work being done by Hope United is commendable and a clear step in the right direction. But there is only so much the individuals involved can do.

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Ultimately, it is down to the social media companies and governing bodies to drive change and deal with the issues before they spiral out of control. Much has been made about the anonymity of the vast majority of abusers on social media, and that’s an area in which Lewis believes the powers that be need to clamp down on.

“I think education is always good to do with anything. Education is always the first port of call to address any issue. There are so many issues in this world that are caused by people not being educated within the topic.

"But for me, personally, more information should be given to start a social media account.

"If you're giving out online hate or racism or sexism, whatever it is, you're able to be tracked down by authorities and actually held accountable.

"I just don't think people are held accountable for their actions on social media, which is obviously the main problem. If people were, then the issue would be a lot less pronounced to what it is today.

"Requesting more information to open accounts would be a great start."

BT’s Hope United will rally the UK to tackle online abuse as part BT’s commitment to digitally upskill the nation. To find out more about how you can play your part, watch BT's Tech Tips at bt.com/hopeunited. Together we can beat online hate.