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| The illustration of Running (Photo: Special) |
Nowadays, fitness apps like Strava have become an integrated part of people's lifestyles. Strava allows users to track and share their sports activities. In fact, it has created a global community of competitive and supportive athletes. However, in those days of sportsmanship and personal achievement, there was a new phenomenon known as Strava jockeys.
According to Hudaniah, S.Psi, M.Si., a Psychology lecturer at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), a Strava jockey is a term used to describe someone who is paid or asked to run sports activities on behalf of others in the Strava application.
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“This phenomenon is analogous to the educational practice of ‘assignment jockeys’, where someone pays someone else to complete their assignments or exams,” she adds.
From a psychological perspective, one of the main motivations for using Strava is the need to achieve something better every day, which gives a sense of satisfaction. However, these achievements are often compared to others. This phenomenon shows how strong the desire to be recognized and appreciated by others is.
Furthermore, social media plays an important role in the Strava jockey phenomenon. With platforms like Strava, everyone has the opportunity to be seen and appreciated by their community. Moreover, an individual would want to ensure that he or she looks accomplished to others.
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“Everyone has a desire to have a need for exhibition, to be recognized, and to be known by others with the hope of being positively appreciated. Thus, this creates a new opportunity for jockeys where Strava jockey transactions can happen,” explained the Head of UMM's Advisory and Counseling Unit.
The Strava jockey phenomenon also shows how social media can create pressure to show off achievements that are actually fake. “This is a kind of flexing in the media about sports activity reports. Wishful thinking that wants to be shown but is fake,” said Hudaniah.
When it comes to the theoretical analysis of psychological dynamics, using a Strava jockey is actually a manipulation that reflects a self-defense mechanism. Basically, accomplishing achievements in a good way is hard and requires struggle. For some people, this shortcut is chosen out of laziness or because they have more money.
However, these actions have serious psychological consequences. Individuals who manipulate results are likely to suffer from elevated anxiety and fears that their “secret” will become known to others. Ultimately, this can have a negative impact on their mental health.
However, Hudaniah stated that the Strava jockey phenomenon will not last long, just like the trends that have boomed before. However, it is important for people not to be tempted by this phenomenon. “The main purpose of exercise is for health, do as much as we can gradually. We don't have to compare with people whose starting point is above ours,” she concluded. (Lai/Wil/Put)
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