Network consumption and sports practice: influence on the risk of network addiction and basic psychological needs

The objective of the study was to identify the possibility of developing a risk of addiction to social networks and to know the satisfaction of basic psychological needs depending on network usage time, the number of networks used, and the practice hours and type of sport developed. A sample of 265 university students (Mage = 28.23; SD = 8.44; 110 men and 155 women) completed distinct self-report measures. Results revealed significant differences in the addiction-symptoms, social-use and geek-traits, being higher when the time of network consumption increases and when the number of networks used is bigger. Regarding the sports variables, collective sports are significantly associated with the risk of addiction symptoms. However, the practice of collective sports seems to satisfy basic psychological needs. In conclusion, the higher use and number of social networks seem to predict the risk of addiction to them. Single sports practice decreases the probability of network addiction and, collective and single sports help satisfy basic psychological needs.

Marta Vega-Díaz, Higinio González-García