عنوان مقاله [English]
Virtual media is a vital tool for the people, and despite lots of positive points and capabilities, it has created serious problems. The purpose of this study was to study the harmful effects of virtual media on the performance of young athletes. The research method is a descriptive-correlational study done in Markazi province. The statistical population of this study included all young athletes aged 18 to 28 years old, Markazi province. Sampling method was clustered. The sample size was 384 and was considered as available. Three standard questionnaires were used to collect data in this study. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, Pearson correlation coefficient and one-way variance analysis were used to analyze the data. The results showed a significant correlation between the extreme use of the virtual media of young athletes and the extent of psychological harm; (physical, compulsive obsession, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, anxiety, paranoid thoughts, psychosis). The results also showed that there is a significant correlation between the extreme use of virtual media with dimensions of social harm, including divorce, addiction, unemployment and sexual deviations, but there is no significant relationship between the two other dimensions of social harm, including suicide and robbery. It is recommended that this important challenge be managed by informing athletes and educators about the young population of the country and increasing the excessive use of virtual media among the population.