Digital leisure use and psychological well-being among recreation management students: The mediating role of social media engagement

Abstract

This study examines how recreation management students use digital leisure time and its impact on their psychology. The study aims to explain the effect of digital leisure use through social media engagement on students' psychological well-being. The theoretical model of the study was developed using Self-Determination Theory and the Uses & Gratifications framework. A survey was conducted among recreation management students at three different universities based on quantitative research methods. Structural equation modelling was applied to the 387 useable survey data obtained. According to the results, digital leisure use has a positive effect on psychological well-being. Social media engagement has a differential mediating effect in this relationship: affective social media engagement was found to mediate negatively, whereas cognitive and behavioural social media engagement mediated positively. Thus, although digital leisure use basically enhances psychological well-being, the role of social media engagement in this relationship varies. The results of this study provide important theoretical and practical insights and recommendations for tourism education. It also provides a better context for the factors that influence psychological well-being in the digital leisure space and how social media engagement can influence students.