Correlates of social media fatigue and academic performance decrement: A large cross-sectional study

Aqdas Malik*, Amandeep Dhir, Puneet Kaur, Aditya Johri

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

90 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: The current study aims to investigate if different measures related to online psychosocial well-being and online behavior correlate with social media fatigue. Design/methodology/approach: To understand the antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue, the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework is applied. The study consists of two cross-sectional surveys that were organized with young-adult students. Study A was conducted with 1,398 WhatsApp users (aged 19 to 27 years), while Study B was organized with 472 WhatsApp users (aged 18 to 23 years). Findings: Intensity of social media use was the strongest predictor of social media fatigue. Online social comparison and self-disclosure were also significant predictors of social media fatigue. The findings also suggest that social media fatigue further contributes to a decrease in academic performance. Originality/value: This study builds upon the limited yet growing body of literature on a theme highly relevant for scholars, practitioners as well as social media users. The current study focuses on examining different causes of social media fatigue induced through the use of a highly popular mobile instant messaging app, WhatsApp. The SSO framework is applied to explore and establish empirical links between stressors and social media fatigue.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)557-580
Number of pages24
JournalInformation Technology and People
Volume34
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 12 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Academic performance decrement
  • Fear of missing out (FoMO)
  • Online privacy
  • Self-disclosure
  • Social comparison
  • Social media fatigue

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Information Systems
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Library and Information Sciences

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