[This report was provided by the research team led by Distinguished Professor Mei-Yan Chen from the Graduate Institute of Sports, Leisure and Hospitality Management.]
ORIGINAL ARTICLE：https://pr.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnunews/index.php?mode=data&id=22409
In the digital era, social media has become an indispensable part of our lives, bringing unprecedented convenience and real-time communication. However, its rapid development also comes with side effects—particularly the growing concern, both publicly and academically, over social media addiction and its impact on health. This study explores whether regular physical exercise can help mitigate the negative health effects associated with social media addiction. This in-depth analysis was conducted using data from the 2019 “Taiwan Social Change Survey,”.
The results revealed that social media addiction indeed leads to more frequent internet use and may adversely affect an individual’s health—once again confirming the potential harms of social media overuse. More notably, the study found that regular exercise significantly reduced internet usage among individuals with low levels of social media addiction. However, for those who were highly dependent on social media, exercise actually appeared to increase their online activity. This suggests that the effect of exercise interventions may vary depending on the degree of addiction. These findings not only enhance researchers’ understanding of social media addiction and its health consequences but also highlight the importance of developing nuanced, targeted intervention strategies to protect both mental and physical health.
In the age of rapid technological advancement, social media addiction and excessive internet use have emerged as hidden threats to health concerns for modern people. Previous studies have shown that regular physical activity not only brings numerous benefits to the body but may also serve as an effective strategy to counter the health downsides of social media use. Therefore, this research aims to explore how exercise interventions can moderate the effects of social media addiction on internet usage and perceived health.
Grounded in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the person-environment fit theory, the research team constructed a statistical model and employed secondary data analysis on a sample of 1,163 adult citizens from the 2019 Taiwan Social Change Survey. The key findings are as follows:
- Social media addiction encourages more frequent internet use and may negatively impact individual health, reaffirming the existence and potential harm of such addiction.
- Internet use itself did not directly affect perceived health, nor did social media addiction indirectly affect health through increased internet usage. This implies that the health impact of social media addiction may stem from other factors, not merely time spent online.
- Regular exercise positively moderated the impact of social media addiction on internet usage, reducing online activity among low-addiction individuals. However, it did not significantly alter the relationship between addiction and perceived health—suggesting that a broader range of strategies may be required to counteract the health effects of addiction.
Based on these findings, the research team recommends the following strategies to fight against social media addiction:
- Establishing a clear and healthy approach to exercise is crucial to counterbalance the negative side effects from social media. Experts suggest following the FITT principle—Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type of exercise—to ensure that workouts are effective and do not backfire due to overexertion.
- Tailor interventions based on the level of addiction. For those with mild dependence on social media, regular physical activity might be enough to reduce screen time. However, for those with deeper addiction, exercise alone may not suffice—psychological counseling and behavioral interventions may also be necessary.
- Leverage the power of social media itself through fitness-themed virtual communities. According to person-environment fit theory, integrating exercise into online social platforms may turn the potentially harmful influence of social media into a force for positiveness. These communities can motivate users to engage in physical activity while keeping exercise a trending topic, reducing health risks while enjoying the benefits of both technology and movement.
Ultimately, in today’s increasingly digital world, achieving a balance between the convenience of technology and the preservation of mental and physical well-being is a goal that every modern individual should strive for.
(English Version Powered by ChatGPT, Edited by Serena H.)
Original Source:
Chen, B-C., Chen, M-Y., Wu, Y-F., & Wu, Y-T. (2022). The Relationship of Social Media Addiction with Internet Use and Perceived Health: The Moderating Effects of Regular Exercise Intervention. Frontiers in Public Health, 10:854532.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.854532
Author Profiles:
- Prof. Mei-Yan Chen (Distinguished Professor, Graduate Institute of Sports, Leisure and Hospitality Management)
Ph.D., Sport Administration and Management, University of Northern Colorado. Specializes in sport management and marketing, consumer behavior in sports, and statistical/data analysis. - Dr. Bo-Ching Chen (Assistant Professor, CTBC Business School – Sport Industry Management Program)
Ph.D., Educational Management and Administration, National University of Tainan. Specializes in organizational behavior, human resource management, applied psychology, and statistics. - Dr. Yu-Feng Wu (Assistant Professor, General Education Center, Ming Chi University of Technology)
Ph.D., Graduate Institute of Sports, Leisure and Hospitality Management, NTNU. Specializes in sport consumer behavior, applied psychology, and physical education. - Dr. Yu-Tai Wu (Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Soochow University)
Ph.D., Department of Physical Education, NTNU. Specializes in sport management and consumer behavior.