Sport participation, social media use, and mental health of Serbian adolescents

Adolescents today encounter numerous challenges with their physical and mental well-being, particularly due to insufficient physical activity and intensive social media use. The aim of this study was to examine differences between students who engage in sports and those who do not. Indicators included self-rated health, life satisfaction, frequency of psychosomatic complaints, and the risk of social media use. The sample consisted of 1,761 students (843 males) from the 5th and 7th grades. About 72% participated in organized sports, and over half had been active for more than three years. Overall, 61% rated their health as excellent and 31% as very good, while 70% reported high life satisfaction. The most common psychosomatic complaints were nervousness (56%), irritability (43%), and sleep problems (35%). YouTube was the most frequently used platform (90%), followed by Viber, TikTok, and Snapchat. Regarding problematic social media use, 39% were at moderate risk, and 55% were not at risk. Compared to their non-athletic peers, student-athletes demonstrated better self-rated health, higher life satisfaction, fewer psychosomatic symptoms, and a lower likelihood of problematic social media use.