“You Always Had to Be Very Careful:” Mapping Civil Leisure Constraints for Collegiate Athletes Engaging in Social Media Activism

Collegiate athletes in the United States increasingly turn to social media to advocate for social change. Drawing from interviews with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletes, the goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of the challenges collegiate athletes face when engaging in social media activism. Combining the theoretical lenses of civil leisure and leisure constraints, five higher-order themes capturing civil leisure constraints were identified. At the intrapersonal level, participants experienced mental stress due to reputational considerations. Participants described intense backlash on social media and interpersonal repercussions as barriers at the interpersonal level. Finally, the participants in this study referred to two structural constraints when it came to civil leisure: institutional vulnerability and control of their social media activities by the athletics department. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed to empower more athletes to utilize their leisure time for activist impact.