Using Facebook and Twitter to Encourage Physical Activity: Are College Students Connecting with Campus Recreation on Social Media? A Pilot Study

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine students' use of the campus recreation center and their engagement with the center's social media accounts as a basis for future research. A survey was completed by 257 students in an undergraduate health course. The respondents were 38% female and 61% male, and 29% freshmen, 44% sophomores, 18% juniors, and 7% seniors. Results indicated that while the majority of students use Facebook and Twitter, most of them do not follow the center's accounts. However, students who participated in the least popular activities at the center were more likely to follow and interact with the center's social media. Potentially, students do not want to connect with the recreation center on social media and managers should shift resources to a different marketing strategy, or managers need to engage in a campaign to increase students' awareness of the center's accounts.