The authors of this study analyzed data on the mental health of college students around the time of the expansion of Facebook across college campuses. They found that the rollout of Facebook on a college campus had a negative impact on student mental health, in addition to finding impairments to academic performance. The leading mechanism the authors found for the negative impact on mental health was unfavorable social comparisons.
Unlike the other sources I have red as part of my research, this article did not focus on social media as it pertains to athletes, but instead, to the broader impact of social media on college students as a whole. Social media can have negative impacts on all college students, including student athletes. For everyone, social media can be a means for social comparison, and that includes student athletes. These athletes may compare themselves to their more successful counterparts, leading them to develop feelings of inadequacy about their own lives and athletic careers. Additionally, this research likely can be applied to professional athletes as well, though further research would be needed to confirm.
I have contacted two potential committee members thus far, with one agreeing to serve on my committee and the other requesting a meeting, which I am in the process of scheduling. I still need to make a decision regarding the 3rd member of my committee and finalize that spot. Finally, I still need to reach out to the intended 4th member (adjunct) of my committee and finalize their spot in my committee, which I intend to do tonight.
Braghieri, L., Levy, R., & Makarin, A. (2022). Social media and mental health. American Economic Review, 112(11), 3660–3693. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20211218