George Takei: The King of Social Media Takes on Fitness and Trolls

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George Takei may be big on social media, but he’s not so big on other forms of interactive entertainment.

“I am not a gamer,” he admits.

When he finds a few moments to futz around on his iPhone 6, he gravitates more toward Twitter or Facebook than to Angry Birds or Temple Run. And yet he’s agreed to be the public face for a suite of upcoming gaming fitness apps from Fit Entertainment.

Takei, a lifelong fitness enthusiast who has participated in several marathons, will appear as the first celebrity avatar for the apps, which include Fit Go Run and Fit Go Step Challenge. He also plans to release his own fitness apps in the future.

“I was attracted [to this app] by the idea of proselytizing fitness,” he told Yahoo. “That’s something I do every day. And if we can get people to exercise via a video game, I think that’s a good thing.”

Running an online empire

When he isn’t exercising, Takei is lording over a massive online following: He boasts over 10 million fans on Twitter and Facebook. But he doesn’t do it all by himself.

While Takei spends parts of his weekends personally prowling social media, many of the posts on his accounts actually come from his staff.

“I’m not in front of the computer all day long,” he says. “[Takei’s husband] Brad took over, and now we have a whole staff that helps out, and I spend the weekend commenting on them. It used to be a pop-and-pop shop — rather than a mom-and-pop — but we have become a major industry.“

But while Takei enjoys interacting with fans, the legendary Star Trek star is increasingly worried about the mob mentality that’s come to dominate social media. Whether it’s the aggressive tactics of the Gamergate movement, the uproar that followed the death of Cecil the lion or the bullying of school kids, Takei is concerned about how we connect with one another online.

Having a drink with some old friends. (Photo: AP Photo/Bob Galbraith)

“The thing about social media is it’s very democratizing,” he says. “But the dark side can be very hurtful. Initially, the optimistic view was that social media was a chance to expand the town square, to a global town square where we can share ideas. But then the underbelly appeared. When [trolls] organize, they become a real threat to vulnerable people.”

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