The Impact of Cyberbullying via Social Media on Mental Concentration and Skill Performance of Football Players in the Iraq Stars League

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the impact of cyberbullying via social media on the level of mental concentration and the accuracy of skill performance among football players in the "Iraq Stars League". Methodology: A descriptive (analytical and correlational) approach was used on a stratified random sample of (n=240) players from professional league clubs. Measurement tools included a cyberbullying scale, a mental concentration scale, and a skill performance evaluation card; statistical processing was conducted using (Pearson, Regression, ANOVA, T-test). Results: The results showed that players are exposed to high levels of cyberbullying (Mean = 3.82). Correlation analysis revealed a strong, statistically significant inverse relationship between cyberbullying and both mental concentration (r = -0.74) and skill performance (r = -0.68). Regression results indicated that cyberbullying explains (54.7%) of the variance in mental concentration, and (46.2%) in skill performance. The results also proved the existence of statistically significant differences in the vulnerability to bullying attributed to the age variable (in favor of the < 25 years category) and playing position; where goalkeepers and attackers were the categories most negatively affected by digital pressures. Conclusions: It was concluded that cyberbullying represents a "critical variable" leading to attention distraction and the deterioration of technical outputs in Iraqi stadiums, especially among young players and sensitive offensive and defensive positions. The study recommends the necessity of adopting "digital immunity" strategies and activating the role of the sports psychological preparer within clubs to deal with the repercussions of the digital environment.