Social media present athletes with a number of benefits and challenges. As a result, various sport stakeholders have debated appropriate social media use among athletes at major sport events, with some suggesting that using these platforms can have negative consequences. The purpose of this research was to examine the elements of social media that athletes perceive to be distracting during major sport events and the practices they undertake to address such distractions. Interviews with Australian elite athletes (N = 15) were conducted and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal several elements associated with distraction, including positive and unwanted messages, branding pressures, and competitor content. Athletes reported two key practices that assisted in overcoming distractions, including switching off and handing over the control of their social media accounts. The findings extend distraction-conflict theory to athlete social media research, while presenting a preliminary conceptual model to assist researchers in further understanding the potential impact of social media distractions on athletes. Opportunities for sport practitioners to develop or implement social media education programs are described.

社交媒体为运动员带来了许多好处和挑战。结果，各种体育利益相关者在重大体育赛事中的运动员之间就社交媒体的使用方式进行了辩论，有些人认为使用这些平台可能会带来负面影响。这项研究的目的是研究运动员在重大体育赛事中认为会分散注意力的社交媒体元素，以及他们为解决此类干扰而采取的做法。澳大利亚精英运动员访谈（N = 15），并使用主题分析对数据进行分析。调查结果揭示了与分心有关的几个因素，包括正面和负面信息，品牌压力和竞争对手的内容。运动员报告了两种有助于克服干扰的关键做法，包括关闭并移交其社交媒体帐户的控制权。这些发现将分心冲突理论扩展到了运动员社交媒体研究中，同时提出了一个初步的概念模型来协助研究人员进一步了解社交媒体分心对运动员的潜在影响。描述了体育从业者开发或实施社交媒体教育计划的机会。