Dijital Dünyada Sporcu Olmak: Alfa Kuşağında Kimlik ve Bağımlılık Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme

Abstract

Bu araştırma, dijital çağın merkezinde yetişen Alfa Kuşağı sporcularının sporcu kimliği algısı ile internet bağımlılığı düzeyi arasındaki ilişkiyi; çeşitli demografik, sportif ve teknolojik değişkenler doğrultusunda incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmaya 184’ü kız, 170’i erkek olmak üzere toplam 354 lisanslı sporcu katılmıştır. Veriler, Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Young İnternet Bağımlılığı Testi Kısa Formu ve Sporcu Kimliği Ölçeği aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Analiz sürecinde SPSS 23.0 programı kullanılmış; verilerin normal dağılıma uygunluğu dikkate alınarak parametrik ve parametrik olmayan testler uygulanmıştır. Gruplar arası farkların belirlenmesinde bağımsız örneklemler t-testi ve tek yönlü varyans analizi (ANOVA), değişkenler arası ilişkilerin değerlendirilmesinde ise Pearson korelasyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, sporcu kimliği ile internet bağımlılığı arasında zayıf ancak anlamlı bir negatif ilişki olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca bireysel spor yapan gençlerin sporcu kimliği düzeylerinin takım sporcularına göre daha yüksek olduğu; internet bağımlılığı puanlarının ise anne eğitim düzeyi ve kullanılan dijital cihaz türüne göre anlamlı farklılık gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen veriler, genç sporcuların dijital ortamda benlik gelişimi ile medya kullanım alışkanlıklarının iç içe geçtiğini ve bu sürecin çevresel faktörlerle birlikte şekillendiğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

• Sporcu kimliği
• İnternet bağımlılığı
• Alfa kuşağı
• Dijital medya kullanımı

Being an Athlete in the Digital World: An Evaluation on Identity and Addiction in Generation Alpha

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between athlete identity perception and internet addiction levels among Alpha Generation athletes, who have grown up immersed in the digital era, considering a range of demographic, sporting, and technological factors. The research sample comprised 354 li-censed athletes, including 184 females and 170 males. Data were obtained using a Personal Infor-mation Form, the Young Internet Addiction Test–Short Form, and the Athlete Identity Scale. Statisti-cal analyses were conducted with SPSS 23.0, applying both parametric and non-parametric tests based on the distribution characteristics of the data. Group differences were examined using inde-pendent samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), while Pearson correlation anal-ysis assessed associations between variables. Results indicated a weak yet statistically significant negative correlation between athlete identity and internet addiction. Furthermore, individual sport athletes demonstrated higher athlete identity scores than their counterparts in team sports. Internet addiction levels also varied significantly according to the mother’s education level and the type of digital device used. Overall, the findings suggest that young athletes’ personal development within digital environments is closely linked to their media consumption patterns, and that this dynamic is influenced by environmental conditions.

Keywords

• Athlete identity
• Internet addiction
• Generation Alpha
• Digital media use

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