I was really disappointed to see the abuse directed at Karen Carney last week but I can’t say I was completely surprised. Unfortunately, it’s nothing new – the sad reality is if you’re on social media and are a recognisable individual you are potentially exposed to such abuse.

I’ve experienced it, my brother has experienced it and so many other people I know who are in the game have experienced horrific online abuse. But I was more surprised that it happened to Karen. Nobody deserves that kind of abuse of course but she is such an example on and off the pitch and is not somebody who would ever be provocative to invite such extreme negative opinion and abuse.

I have perhaps put myself out there with opinions that may be different and polarising and, as a woman in the media commenting on men’s football, I kind of expected abuse but to see someone like Karen targeted was disturbing. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter what type of person you are, some people are just vile and send abuse to try to get attention or project the hatred that usually dominates their own lives.

The huge problem for me is that there aren’t enough consequences for people who do this sort of thing – if they knew that writing that kind of sentence could potentially get them a jail sentence or a ban from Twitter, they wouldn’t do it. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook need to get real about the consequences and deterrents for users. For many years players had to suffer racist abuse from the terraces but now such instances are few and far between because everyone is aware that if someone is caught on camera using racist abuse, a lifetime ban is likely to follow. We saw recently at the Croatia v England game the consequences of a game with no fans due to the previous horrific behaviour by some Croatia fans. These are the kind of serious deterrents social media now need to adopt for their users.

FA urges police and social media companies to act after threats to Karen Carney Read more

They need to step up and take some action. Let’s be honest – they know who these people are. Yes, they might change accounts, but if somebody wrote: “I have a bomb and I’m going to plant it somewhere and kill 50 people,” Twitter and the police would be absolutely sure to find that person. I don’t buy the idea that they can’t identify them. If they want to stop this, they can.

I have experienced racist tweets and stereotypical comments. It’s hurtful because I’m a human being but, after a while, it’s like water off a duck’s back. I don’t report them any more because nothing actually ever happens. It’s a waste of time. I’ve done it before when I received a racist tweet and nothing happened, so when I started getting some abuse on Twitter, I just didn’t bother, especially when you see the people directing such abuse. A lot of these people are weak – they would never say this sort of thing to you in the street.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Phil Neville will discuss with England’s players whether they should use social media during next year’s World Cup. Photograph: Lynne Cameron for The FA/Rex/Shutterstock

I am no longer as active on Twitter as I used to be because it has a kind of toxic energy to it these days. The original intention of the platform was to connect the world, however it has become a platform for widespread hatred. Maybe Twitter has got a bit too complacent now they have become a multibillion-dollar company and they don’t really care about the extent of negative abuse on its platform? If you are walking down the street casually I don’t expect to hear death threats so why is it any different because you’re on a phone?

I think it’s fantastic that Phil Neville stood up for Karen Carney because it helps to have a voice of leadership to call this to account and try to protect the players. A lot of players have suffered from racist and sexist abuse online so it is good to see he is starting the trend of protection for his players publicly. I hope that continues as a team policy for all the players.

‘We can’t control the trolls’: threats to Carney highlight a growing issue Read more

It’s really interesting to hear Phil is going to discuss with the players whether they will use social media at next year’s World Cup. I’ve started trying to be more deliberate about my social media intake. I try to do a detox for a week every month. I might check them once a day but I’m not actively tweeting or posting or scrolling irrelevantly. I think it’s a really healthy thing to do because it’s has become an addiction for many that isn’t very productive. You’re taking in information that sometimes you don’t need to see, so it’s a good idea to be quite extreme during tournaments and have more control over use of social media.

Harry Kane said he restricted how much he looked at Twitter during the World Cup and I know Karen Bardsley deleted her account for the last World Cup, in 2015. I think it’s a directive that should come from the coach as part of the team culture during major tournaments rather than a choice for players.

At Juventus, we’re not allowed our phones anywhere at the training ground except in the dressing room

At Juventus, we’re not allowed our phones anywhere at the training ground except in the dressing room. No phones at lunch means better conversation with teammates. That means for six hours every day we’re not on social media and that has helped concentration levels overall and better mental efficiency.

On a brighter note, it was great to score my first Juventus hat-trick in the win against Roma at the weekend. Hat-tricks – or a tripletta in Italian – don’t come along too often unless you’re Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo! I managed to get the ball signed by all the players because I like to cherish those moments and keep that kind of memorabilia. After losing the Supercoppa against Fiorentina, the team were bitterly disappointed so it was key for us to bounce back.