Education on the digital terrain: A case study exploring college athletes’ perceptions of social media education.

College athletes are active on a variety of social-media platforms. As a result, most athletic departments require them to participate in social-media education.<br>Although this practice is becoming more prominent, little research has explored how college athletes perceive such training. This case study explored college athletes’ social-media use and their perceptions about social-media education.<br>Semistructured interviews of 20 college athletes at a Division I university were conducted. Using social-cognitive theory as a framework, analysis revealed that while participants expressed a desire for social-media education, they indicated that most of the messages they receive about social media tend to be forgettable. Consequently, athletic departments need to take a more reflexive approach to social-media education that incorporates college athletes’ feedback to optimize this instruction.