The Impact Of Social Media On The Mental Health Of Student Athletes

Download or read book The Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of Student-Athletes written by Jessica Brougham and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of social media on the mental health of student-athletes. A survey was created that included both social media use and a variety of mental health measures. After contacting over 100 Division I, 20 Division II, and 20 Division III institutions, 5 Division I, 2 Division II and 2 Division III schools agreed to participate. This survey was then sent out to the institutions across the 3 NCAA divisions. In total, 94 student-athletes completed the survey in its entirety. The survey included quantitative and qualitative questions. Qualitative findings suggested student-athletes perceive positive impacts of social media use as communication, stress relief, and motivation. Meanwhile, they perceived negative impacts of social media use including vulnerability, procrastination, and loss of sleep. Quantitative data from a multiple regression analysis indicated there were higher levels of depression/anxiety in the Division II and graduate student populations. Additionally, a negative relationship was identified between female student-athletes, self-esteem and Facebook use. The findings of this exploratory research identify that social media does impact student-athlete mental health. Because of this finding, athletic departments should make an effort to educate themselves and student-athletes on the danger.