Student Athletes, Social Media and Mental Health

Overview

• Title: The Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of Student-Athletes across NCAA Divisions

• Author: Jessica K. Brougham, University of Florida

• Purpose: To explore the impacts of social media on the mental health of student-athletes across NCAA divisions.

• Participants: 94 student-athletes from all three NCAA Divisions.

• Methodology: Survey on social media use and mental health measures.

Key Findings

• General Impact:

  • Overall social media use did not significantly impact depression, anxiety, satisfaction with life, perceived stress, or self-esteem among student-athletes.

• Specific Platform Effects:

  • Facebook showed a negative correlation with self-esteem.

  • TikTok demonstrated a positive correlation with self-esteem.

  • For male participants, Instagram and Snapchat correlated negatively with anxiety and depression.

• Procrastination and Escape:

  • Qualitative responses indicated that social media often serves as a tool for procrastination and escapism for student-athletes.

• Need for Healthy Coping Strategies:

  • The study recommends guidance on healthy coping strategies for student-athletes regarding social media use.

Evolution of Social Media

• Technology Advancements:

  • Continuous evolution from computer-based to mobile access has transformed social media into a daily journal.

• Platform Characteristics:

  • Facebook: Leads in active users; connects users globally, sharing life updates.

  • Instagram: Focuses on photo sharing.

  • TikTok/YouTube: Video sharing platforms.

  • Snapchat: Primarily direct messaging, shares photos and videos.

  • Twitter: Short updates and threads.

Social Media and Mental Health Correlations

• Prevalence of Mental Health Issues in College Students:

  • High levels of anxiety (66.4%) and depression (46.2%) found among college students; 2.3% attempted suicide.

• Unique Stressors for Student-Athletes:

  • Factors like social isolation due to schedules and identity issues may increase vulnerability to mental health challenges.

• Associated Risks:

  • Student-athletes must be mindful of their unique stressors and barriers to seek help.

Mental Health Risks Specific to Student-Athletes

• Common Issues:

  • High susceptibility to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse among student-athletes.

  • Gender differences: Males show higher suicide rates, while females present more with eating disorders.

• Impact of Performance Pressure:

  • The culture of athletics emphasizes mental toughness, which may prevent athletes from expressing vulnerabilities.

• Identity and Resilience Factors:

  • Lower levels of athlete identity can correlate with increased burnout and decreased mental health.

Social Media's Role in Mental Health

• Cyberbullying Impact:

  • Victims of cyberbullying exhibit higher levels of anxiety and depression.

• Sleep Disturbance:

  • Poor sleep associated with increased use of social media impacts overall mental health.

• Academic Performance Connection:

  • Time spent on social media negatively predicts GPA.

• Diverse Outcomes of Social Media Use:

  • Positive effects noted through peer connection and motivation synched with sport performances.

Methodology of the Study

• Survey Design:

  • Mixed methods including closed and open-ended questions; allowed for a comprehensive understanding of participants' experiences.

• Participant Engagement:

  • The data collection was coordinated through NCAA institutions, ensuring a range of demographic responses.

• Analytics Approach:

  • SPSS was utilized for statistical analysis; multiple linear regression was used to assess the relationship between social media use and mental health measures.

Limitations of the Research

• Sample Size:

  • A limited response from institutions resulted in a small and skewed sample primarily from Division III.

• Broad Exploratory Nature:

  • Future research should narrow focus on specific aspects of social media effects and consider longitudinal studies.

Conclusion and Future Directions

• Calling for more robust research utilizing larger samples to understand the nuanced relationships between social media use and mental health in student-athletes.

• Emphasis on developing social media training programs tailored to address identified mental health risks associated with social media use among this population.

The Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of Student-Athletes across NCAA Divisions

Overview

Author: Jessica K. Brougham, University of FloridaPurpose: To explore the impacts of social media on the mental health of student-athletes across NCAA divisions. Participants included 94 student-athletes from all three NCAA Divisions, using a survey methodology to assess social media use and mental health measures.

Key Findings

The study found that overall social media use did not significantly impact depression, anxiety, satisfaction with life, perceived stress, or self-esteem among student-athletes. However, specific platform effects were noted, with Facebook showing a negative correlation with self-esteem and TikTok demonstrating a positive correlation. For male participants, Instagram and Snapchat correlated negatively with anxiety and depression. Qualitative responses indicated that social media often serves as a tool for procrastination and escapism for student-athletes. The study recommends guidance on healthy coping strategies regarding social media use to promote mental health.

Evolution of Social Media

Social media has evolved continuously, transitioning from computer-based access to mobile usage, transforming it into a daily journal for many users. Notably, Facebook leads in active users, connecting individuals globally, while Instagram focuses primarily on photo sharing. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube emphasize video content, whereas Snapchat primarily enables direct messaging and image sharing. Twitter is geared towards short updates and threads.

Correlations of Social Media and Mental Health

The prevalence of mental health issues among college students is high, with 66.4% experiencing anxiety and 46.2% dealing with depression, and 2.3% attempting suicide. Student-athletes face unique stressors, including social isolation caused by their schedules and identity issues, raising their vulnerability to mental health challenges. Associated risks indicate that student-athletes need to be aware of their stressors and barriers to seeking help.

Mental Health Risks Specific to Student-Athletes

Student-athletes exhibit a high susceptibility to issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse, with gender differences noting that males show higher suicide rates while females tend to exhibit more eating disorders. The culture of athletics emphasizes mental toughness, which can hinder athletes from expressing vulnerabilities. Lower levels of athlete identity correlate with increased burnout and decreased mental health.

The Role of Social Media in Mental Health

Cyberbullying has a significant impact, with victims showing higher anxiety and depression levels. Additionally, poor sleep associated with increased social media usage negatively affects overall mental health, affecting academic performance and predicting lower GPAs. Nonetheless, positive outcomes are also observed through peer connection and motivation that sync with sport performances.

Methodology of the Study

The study employed a mixed-methods design, utilizing both closed and open-ended questions, which allowed for a comprehensive understanding of participants' experiences. Data collection was coordinated through NCAA institutions to ensure a diverse range of demographic responses. For the analytics approach, SPSS was used for statistical analysis, employing multiple linear regression to assess the relationship between social media use and mental health measures.

Limitations of the Research

The research faced limitations due to a small response size from institutions, resulting in a skewed sample primarily from Division III. The broad exploratory nature of the study suggests that future research should focus on specific aspects of social media effects and consider longitudinal studies.

Conclusion and Future Directions

The study calls for more robust research with larger samples to better understand the nuanced relationships between social media use and mental health in student-athletes. There is a strong emphasis on developing tailored social media training programs to address the identified mental health risks associated with social media use in this population.

The Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of Student-Athletes across NCAA Divisions

Overview

Author: Jessica K. Brougham, University of FloridaPurpose: To explore the impacts of social media on the mental health of student-athletes across NCAA divisions. Participants included 94 student-athletes from all three NCAA Divisions, using a survey methodology to assess social media use and mental health measures.

Key Findings

The study found that overall social media use did not significantly impact depression, anxiety, satisfaction with life, perceived stress, or self-esteem among student-athletes. However, specific platform effects were noted, with Facebook showing a negative correlation with self-esteem and TikTok demonstrating a positive correlation. For male participants, Instagram and Snapchat correlated negatively with anxiety and depression. Qualitative responses indicated that social media often serves as a tool for procrastination and escapism for student-athletes. The study recommends guidance on healthy coping strategies regarding social media use to promote mental health.

Evolution of Social Media

Social media has evolved continuously, transitioning from computer-based access to mobile usage, transforming it into a daily journal for many users. Notably, Facebook leads in active users, connecting individuals globally, while Instagram focuses primarily on photo sharing. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube emphasize video content, whereas Snapchat primarily enables direct messaging and image sharing. Twitter is geared towards short updates and threads.

Correlations of Social Media and Mental Health

The prevalence of mental health issues among college students is high, with 66.4% experiencing anxiety and 46.2% dealing with depression, and 2.3% attempting suicide. Student-athletes face unique stressors, including social isolation caused by their schedules and identity issues, raising their vulnerability to mental health challenges. Associated risks indicate that student-athletes need to be aware of their stressors and barriers to seeking help.

Mental Health Risks Specific to Student-Athletes

Student-athletes exhibit a high susceptibility to issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse, with gender differences noting that males show higher suicide rates while females tend to exhibit more eating disorders. The culture of athletics emphasizes mental toughness, which can hinder athletes from expressing vulnerabilities. Lower levels of athlete identity correlate with increased burnout and decreased mental health.

The Role of Social Media in Mental Health

Cyberbullying has a significant impact, with victims showing higher anxiety and depression levels. Additionally, poor sleep associated with increased social media usage negatively affects overall mental health, affecting academic performance and predicting lower GPAs. Nonetheless, positive outcomes are also observed through peer connection and motivation that sync with sport performances.

Methodology of the Study

The study employed a mixed-methods design, utilizing both closed and open-ended questions, which allowed for a comprehensive understanding of participants' experiences. Data collection was coordinated through NCAA institutions to ensure a diverse range of demographic responses. For the analytics approach, SPSS was used for statistical analysis, employing multiple linear regression to assess the relationship between social media use and mental health measures.

Limitations of the Research

The research faced limitations due to a small response size from institutions, resulting in a skewed sample primarily from Division III. The broad exploratory nature of the study suggests that future research should focus on specific aspects of social media effects and consider longitudinal studies.

Conclusion and Future Directions

The study calls for more robust research with larger samples to better understand the nuanced relationships between social media use and mental health in student-athletes. There is a strong emphasis on developing tailored social media training programs to address the identified mental health risks associated with social media use in this population.