Teen diver's home shouldn't be drowned in livestreams

While the excitement of Tokyo Olympic Games has ended, a new drama has surfaced in the hometown of the nation's youngest diving queen, Quan Hongchan.

Ever since the 14-year-old Quan Hongchan won Olympic gold after delivering three perfect 10 dives on Aug 5 in Tokyo, Japan, her home in a village in Zhanjiang city, South China's Guangdong province, has all of sudden become a new "tourism spot" worshipped by netizens.

The spontaneous visitors flocking to the teen champion's home are undoubtedly a reflection of the people's pride over her sensational performance at the Games, as well as their love for the Olympic heroine's legendary story, of how her dedication to training hard ultimately changed the fate of her impoverished family.

However, the visits have disturbed the once tranquil life of the Quan family. Thousands of people reportedly go there every day to take photos. Some even knocked on the door to take selfies with her family members, while others livestreamed videos in front of her home, even at midnight.

Quan's family has appealed to the public to stop disturbing their normal life, and the village has had to close itself off to outside visitors due to these incidents, according to reports. However, some accuse the family of snobbery, despite the fact that Quan's ill mother and elderly grandmother cannot bear the harassment.

It's true that some visitors were driven there by their enthusiasm for the inspiring story of the teenager's own life struggles. But many uninvited visitors showed little regard for the feelings of Quan's family and other villagers, instead selfishly seeking ways to draw online attention and earn money through social media.

These people should not "scare" the girl with rash enthusiasm. China's legendary champion diver Gao Min has posted on her Weibo account that Quan will soon face harsh challenges brought about by psychological pressure, which is very important to female athletes. Therefore, Gao is persuading netizens to help the girl through difficulties in the future and hoping to watch her performance in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The powerful impact of livestreaming and other online activities on today's digital world is a double-edged sword. It can help some people get attention, but also disturb or ruin others' lives. For example, during the May Day holiday this year, a balcony decorated with a big pink bow in Shanghai became popular on the internet. Thousands of people rushed to take photos with it, turning the old lady who lived in the house into an online celebrity. Visitors wished to see her standing on the balcony, causing distress to her and her neighbors. At last, the lady had to move out of the house.

Whenever someone or something has become popular online, there are always people who take advantage of it to create topics and get social media "likes". The more attention they get, the more possibilities for them to earn money, regardless of whether those caught in the eye of the media storm will suffer from the unwanted popularity.

People should be discouraged from diving into such an unhealthy trend.

The author is a writer with China Daily