An examination of internet addiction, participation in physical activities, and sports life satisfaction among faculty of sports sciences students

The aim of this research is to investigate the relationships among internet addiction, levels of participation in physical activity, and sport-related life satisfaction among students in Faculties of Sport Sciences, while also examining the influence of gender, year of study, department, income level, type of sport, and daily internet usage on these relationships. Conducted within the framework of a descriptive correlational survey model, the study sample consisted of 376 students enrolled at Bayburt University's Faculty of Sport Sciences in the 2024–2025 academic year (53.2% male, n = 200; 46.8% female, n = 176). Data were collected using the Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT), the Physical Activity Participation Scale (PAPS), the Sport Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS), and a personal information form, and analyzed with SPSS software through descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, ANOVA, and Tukey Post Hoc tests when appropriate, while internal consistency was verified with Cronbach's Alpha coefficients. The findings revealed that male students had significantly higher internet addiction and physical activity participation scores, although no gender differences were observed in life satisfaction or socio-emotional dimensions; students using sport-related mobile applications reported greater physical activity orientation and life satisfaction but also higher addiction levels; team-sport athletes scored higher in satisfaction and attitudes than individual athletes, and recreation students outperformed their peers from other departments. Additionally, first-year students displayed higher internet addiction, whereas final-year students had more positive attitudes toward physical activity; higher income levels were associated with stronger physical activity orientation and greater life satisfaction, alongside lower internet addiction; and longer daily internet use correlated positively with addiction but negatively with physical activity attitudes. Correlation analyses further showed that sport life satisfaction was negatively associated with internet addiction and positively associated with physical activity attitudes, indicating that sport participation strengthens psychological resilience and life satisfaction while protecting against digital dependency, though excessive use of sport-related digital applications may elevate addiction risks. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that internet addiction, physical activity, and life satisfaction are multidimensional, interrelated constructs among sport sciences students, highlighting the dual role of physical activity in promoting health and quality of life while mitigating risks of digital dependency, and recommending that universities implement awareness programs to reduce digital addiction, expand sport and recreational opportunities, support access for students with lower incomes, and foster stress management and psychological resilienceönerilmektedir.