Práctica deportiva y redes sociales: impacto en la motivación para aprender ciencias sociales en estudiantes universitarios

Introduction: This research analyses the relationship between sports practice, social media use and motivation for learning social sciences among university students. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyse the possible relationships between sports practice and the abuse of social media for motivation to study social sciences. Methodology: A mixed descriptive-exploratory methodology was used. The sample consisted of 368 university students enrolled in social science-related degree programs, selected through non-probabilistic sampling. An ad hoc questionnaire consisting of 25 items was applied, validated using Aiken's V coefficient (V=0.93) and with high reliability (α=0.88). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, normality tests (Kolmogórov-Smirnov) and Spearman's correlations. Results: The results reveal frequent sports practice motivated by personal benefits. Mobile phone and social media use is intensive and has a negative impact on key activities such as studying. A positive (albeit weak) correlation was observed between sports practice and motivation towards social sciences, and a significant negative correlation between excessive use of social media/mobile phones and such motivation. Conclusions: It is concluded that physical activity can act as a protective factor against academic demotivation, while excessive use of social media is related to less involvement in learning. It is recommended to promote healthy habits and strategies for responsible use of technology in the university environment.