ABSTRACT
Social media has provided athletes with a novel public forum that includes access to fans, family members, opponents, and others. These interactions unfold in real time via established social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook as well as on less widely used, newly emerging apps. This chapter considers the increasing prevalence of social media use among athletes and examines the available research concerning the effects of social media on athletes’ psychological well-being. Developmental considerations for young athletes are discussed along with both the positive and negative dimensions of social media participation. The implications for clinical sport psychologists include the need to recognize added pressures that public scrutiny of an athlete’s performance on social media can entail as well as the potentially enduring consequences of an athlete’s social media postings.
