Adventure sports athletes on social media. Potential effects on adolescents' sports participation and risk-taking behavior.

Autor/inn/en	Frühauf, Anika; Loinger, Martin; Kopp, Martin
Titel	Adventure sports athletes on social media. Potential effects on adolescents' sports participation and risk-taking behavior. Gefälligkeitsübersetzung: Abenteuersportler*innen in den sozialen Medien. Mögliche Auswirkungen auf die Sportbeteiligung und das Risikoverhalten von Jugendlichen.
Quelle	In: German journal of exercise and sport research, 55 (2025) 1, S. 4-13 PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2509-3142; 2509-3150
DOI	10.1007/s12662-024-01010-z
Schlagwörter	Empirische Untersuchung; Interview; Beeinflussung; Risikobereitschaft; Jugend; Abenteuer; Motivation; Soziale Software; Gesundheitsgefährdung; Verletzungsgefahr; Abenteuersport; Mountain Biking; Sportaktivität; Sportpädagogik; Sportsoziologie; Sportunterricht; Trendsport; Risiko; Internet; Jugendlicher
Abstract	As high physical inactivity and high social media use, especially in adolescents, are among the societal challenges of our time, this study aimed to investigate how adventure sport influencers (ASI) on social media affect adolescents in their adventure sport participation and behavior using mountain biking as an example. A qualitative research design was used. A total of 8 adolescent mountain bikers (aged between 11 and 15 years) and 8 pedagogical mountain bike experts who work with children and adolescents in bike clubs or bike camps were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a thematic content approach. Three themes were constructed through the analysis, namely influence of adventure sports athletes, risk-taking behavior and physical education (PE). ASI seem to motivate especially young adolescents to participate in the activity. Enhanced risk-taking was not associated with ASI, but with peers and competitions. Adolescents did not report comparing themselves with ASI or experiencing negative effects on their mental well-being related to ASI. PE was discussed as an opportunity to introduce children and adolescents to an individual sport popular among the youth and potentially to increase bike safety on the roads. As there was no social comparison with ASI, adolescents' motivation for physical activity seemed to be unrelated to the detrimental effects on mental health which have been evaluated in research with fitness influencers on social media. Future studies should investigate the potential pedagogical implications of integrating mountain biking into physical education. (Autor).
Erfasst von	Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft, Bonn
Update	2025/3