Mikayla McEwan, Corliss Bean

Social media is embedded within society and has reshaped social interaction, information sharing, and relationships. Over the last decade, social media use has increased substantially, particularly in young adults. University student-athletes represent a unique subgroup of young adults due to their heightened visibility and expectations to manage personal, academic, and athletic responsibilities. The time constraints associated with managing their multiple roles can negatively shape student-athletes’ well-being, with the time-consuming nature of social media exacerbating these challenges. To date, limited research has examined implications of social media use on well-being in Canadian student-athletes, especially using qualitative inquiry. Qualitative approaches allow for in-depth exploration into participants’ experiences. Guided by a digital well-being framework, the study purpose was to explore social media’s role on Ontario student-athletes’ psychosocial development and well-being. This two-phased study is in progress and includes up to 10-15 varsity student-athletes competing in the Ontario University Athletics conference. Data have been collected using personal meaning maps followed by one-on-one semi-structured interviews. As recruitment and data collection are ongoing, findings presented reflect data analyzed to date using reflexive thematic analysis. Preliminary findings revealed that social media was a resource for connection, self-discovery, self-expression, and coping with low mood. Conversely, challenges for managing usage, particularly during nighttime and academic tasks were discussed. Findings extend the current literature by expanding understanding of how student-athletes’ navigate their social media use in ways that support and challenge their well-being. Practical implications may include informing initiatives that enhance student-athlete well-being by addressing various aspects of social media use.