How compulsive WeChat use and information overload affect social media fatigue and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic? A stressor-strain-outcome perspective

The long-term effects of perceived instructional leadership on teachers' psychological well-being during COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak led to widespread school closures and the shift to remote teaching, potentially resulting in lasting negative impacts on teachers' psychological well-being due to increased workloads and a perceived lack of administrative support. Despite the significance of these challenges, few studies have delved into the long-term effects of perceived instructional leadership on teachers' psychological health. To bridge this research gap, we utilized longitudinal data from 927 primary and secondary school teachers surveyed in two phases: Time 1 in mid-November 2021 and Time 2 in early January 2022. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), our findings revealed that perceptions of instructional leadership, especially the "perceived school neglect of teaching autonomy" at Time 1 were positively correlated with burnout levels at Time 2. Additionally, burnout at Time 2 was positively associated with psychological distress and acted as a mediator between the "perceived school neglect of teaching autonomy" and psychological distress. In light of these findings, we recommend that schools prioritize teachers' teaching autonomy and take proactive measures to mitigate burnout and psychological distress, aiming for the sustainable well-being of both teachers and students in the post-pandemic era.

Social media use and its impact on adults' mental health and well-being: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Social media use has grown in importance and prevalence, with its estimated number of users at 4.9 billion worldwide. Social media use research has revealed positive and negative impacts on users' mental health and well-being. However, such impacts among adults have not been examined in any reviews.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted based on the framework by Arksey and O'Malley and reported based on the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Eight databases were searched from 2005 to December 2021. Articles were included after being reviewed by three independent teams, with discrepancies resolved through consensus with the senior author. Publication-related information (i.e., authors, year of publication, aims, study population, methodology, interventions, comparisons, outcome measures and key findings) were extracted from each study. Thematic analysis was conducted to answer the research questions.

RESULTS

Among the 114 eligible articles, young adults (69.6%) represented the main age group. Most studies (78.6%) focused on the negative impacts of social media use on mental health and well-being, with nearly a third (32.1%) assessing such impacts on depression. Notably, this scoping review found that more than three-quarters (78.6%) of the included studies revealed that excessive and passive social media use would increases depression, anxiety, mood and loneliness. Nevertheless, a third (33.0%) also reported positive impacts, where positive and purposeful use of social media contributes to improvements in mental health and well-being, such as increased perceived social support and enjoyment.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

This review has provided an overview of the existing knowledge on how social media use affects adults and identified areas of research that merit investigation in future studies. More attention should be given to maximizing the positive impacts of social media use on mental health and well-being among adults.

Cognitively motivated or emotionally charged? Issue-switching mechanism of second screening-facilitated political participation during the 2022 COVID-19 waves in China

This study examines the effects of mass media and mobile media on civil behaviors in China during COVID-19 outbreaks. It explores the media practices of the Chinese public and the psychological mechanisms that led to their protests and boycotts against the government's COVID policies. Chinese official media has a reputation for depoliticizing natural disasters and censoring the online mobilization of collective actions. Based on previous research and theories regarding media multitasking and political communication, this study demonstrates the psychological mechanism by which a special type of media multitasking-second screening-contributed to political participation in a politically restrictive environment. This study contributes to existing research on media multitasking by proposing a unique theoretical framework that entails an issue-based typology of second screening. The framework expands knowledge by highlighting the importance of issue-switching and investigating its psychological influence on political participation. Previous studies have primarily focused on device-switching and its effects, so this study offers fresh insights in this field. Drawing on a nationwide online survey (N = 1180) conducted during the late-2022 wave of COVID-19 in China, this study reveals that second screening on official televised COVID-19 news can elicit simultaneous issue-switching among Chinese audiences: from the de-politicalized COVID-19 propaganda toward politics. Further, second screening on different issues (i.e., politics vs. health sciences) may instigate political participation through cognitive and emotion channels differently. That is, both political efficacy (cognitive) and negative emotions (emotion) facilitate the process, with the former making a greater contribution.

Strategies for Assessing Health Information Credibility Among Older Social Media Users in China: A Qualitative Study

The fact that social media gives users easy access to online health information raises the question of what information evaluation strategies older adults use to distinguish trustworthy from unreliable health information. Identifying how older adults assess the credibility of health information that they acquire on social media is an important step toward understanding and reducing their susceptibility to health misinformation. In this study, we investigated the credibility assessment strategies used by older WeChat users in China. Following a qualitative approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 40 WeChat users 65-85 years old (M = 71.75, SD = 6.65) in China who had acquired health information on WeChat. Results of theoretical thematic analysis revealed five source-based and content-based evaluative strategies: (1) determining the communicative orientation of the source, (2) assessing source reputation, (3) confirming content based on life experiences, (4) checking for exaggeration in claimed effects, and (5) assessing the consistency of content across sources. Older WeChat users' reliance on certain heuristic cues and their self-reliant approach to assessing information credibility provide contextual explanations for the link between heuristic processing and susceptibility to health misinformation. The findings have implications for anti-misinformation interventions targeting the older population in China and potentially beyond.

Social Media Overload as a Predictor of Depressive Symptoms Under the COVID-19 Infodemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey From Chinese University Students

Objectives: People's mental health and digital usage have attracted widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate how social media overload influenced depressive symptoms under the COVID-19 infodemic and the role of risk perception and social media fatigue. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on 644 college students during the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, and data analysis was conducted using the PROCESS4.0 tool. Results: The findings showed that in the COVID-19 information epidemic: 1) both information overload and communication overload were significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms; 2) risk perception of COVID-19, and social media fatigue mediated this association separately; 3) and there was a chain mediating relationship between communication overload and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Social media overload was positively associated with depressive symptoms among college students under the COVID-19 infodemic by increasing risk perception and social media fatigue. The findings sparked further thinking on how the public should correctly use social media for risk communication during public health emergencies.

Association Between Pandemic Fatigue and Subjective Well-Being: The Indirect Role of Emotional Distress and Moderating Role of Self-Compassion

Objectives: As a stressor in the context of COVID-19 pandemic fatigue is associated with well-being. However, how pandemic fatigue is associated with well-being and what protective factors buffer this negative effect are under investigated. Based on the stress process model and emotion regulation theory, the study examined the indirect effect of pandemic fatigue on subjective well-being through emotional distress and the buffering effect of self-compassion. Methods: Data were collected from 1,162 university students (M _age = 21.61 ± 2.81, female 35.71%) through an online survey. Indirect effect analysis and conditional process analysis were conducted by the SPSS macro PROCESS. Results: Indirect effect of pandemic fatigue on subjective well-being through emotional distress was identified and self-compassion moderated the association between pandemic fatigue and emotional distress. The indirect effect of pandemic fatigue was weaker among participants with high levels of self-compassion than among those with low levels of self-compassion. Conclusion: Pandemic fatigue was negatively associated with subjective well-being through emotional distress at all levels of self-compassion. The findings deepen our understanding of the link between pandemic fatigue and well-being while considering the indirect role of emotional distress and protective function of self-compassion.

Students are at risk? Elucidating the impact of health risks of COVID-19 on emotional exhaustion and academic performance: role of mindfulness and online interaction quality

Although previous online learning studies have looked at how student outcomes are influenced in different settings, this study is unique in that it looks at the role of COVID-19 as a particular stressor. This study discussed how students' perceptions of health risks of COVID-19 (PHRC) influenced their academic performance through emotional exhaustion. This study also looked at how mindfulness and online interaction quality (OIQ) affected PHRC's direct effects on exhaustion, as well as PHRC's indirect effects on academic performance via exhaustion. The data for the current study were collected from 336 students in three waves who were studying online during COVID-19. The results through structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that PHRC influenced academic performance. The results further revealed that mindfulness and OIQ attenuated the direct effects of PHRC on emotional exhaustion as well as indirect effects on academic performance through emotional exhaustion. This study provides some novel implications for practice and research.

Nostalgic Social Media Use and Psychological Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Physical and social distancing practices mandated during the COVID-19 pandemic posed serious threats to mental health on a global scale. Drawing upon the literature on nostalgia as a coping resource and the psychological benefits of nostalgic media use, we investigated the relationship between nostalgic social media use and psychological well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic, considering perceived self-continuity as a mediator. An online survey conducted with a U.S. sample in June 2021 (Study 1; N = 485) showed that nostalgic social media use was positively associated with greater perceived self-continuity, which, in turn, positively predicted emotional well-being. These findings were replicated and extended by a follow-up online survey conducted with a South Korean sample in October 2021 (Study 2; N = 1,510). In addition to replicating the mediation results from Study 1, Study 2 demonstrated that the mediation was significantly moderated by household type (single-person vs. multiperson household). Specifically, those living alone, compared to those living with one or more cohabitants, were more likely to benefit from nostalgic social media use, maintaining higher levels of life satisfaction amid the global health crisis. Implications of these findings are discussed.

The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Anxiety: A Systematic Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in negative mental health outcomes throughout the world, and its impact on social interactions and relationships is likely to be evident in problematic social anxiety. This systematic review qualitatively synthesized data from studies that have reported on the effects of the pandemic on social anxiety. A systematic search of Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Proquest Central-Dissertations and Theses was conducted, with thirty-three studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The results suggest that social anxiety has been heightened in the general population due to the pandemic, with women and low-income earners being especially vulnerable. Other contributing factors include impaired coping strategies, lower socio-emotional well-being, limited support networks, and contraction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Individuals with a Social Anxiety Disorder diagnosis may be at risk of a deterioration of mental health in general. Limitations of the literature reviewed include the predominance of cross-sectional study designs, which limit causal inferences are limited. Additionally, associations may be inflated as many studies have not accounted for mediating variables. Taken together, the research suggests that social anxiety, either pre-pandemic or arising due to the pandemic environment, has contributed to a variety of negative mental health outcomes related to social anxiety.

Perceived Information Overload and Intention to Discontinue Use of Short-Form Video: The Mediating Roles of Cognitive and Psychological Factors

The current study investigated the effects of Chinese young adult users' perceived information overload (i.e., the daily perception of exposure to excessive information) on their intention to stop using short-form video applications. Specifically, this study accomplished this by measuring the direct and indirect effects of social media fatigue, maladaptive coping, and life dissatisfaction in relation to users' intention to discontinue their use of short-form video applications. The data were collected using a web-based survey and validated questionnaire, with a sample of 340 young adult (18-26 years old) respondents. The results indicated that perceived information overload had a direct effect on the intention to discontinue the use of short-form video applications. Moreover, short-form video fatigue, maladaptive coping, and life dissatisfaction all played mediating roles in the relationship between perceived information overload and the intention to discontinue the use of short-form video applications among young adults in China.

Technostress from Smartphone Use and Its Impact on University Students’ Sleep Quality and Academic Performance

Smartphone has been widely used by the younger generation. However, research exploring the technostress triggered by smartphone use lacks. Based upon the stressor-strain-outcome model, this study examined how smartphone use, especially compulsive use, life invasion, and information overload, cause university students’ technostress and, furthermore, how technostress impact their sleep quality and academic performance. Data were collected from 540 undergraduates studying at a Chinese public university and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results revealed that compulsive smartphone use and information overload are both positively associated with technostress, which in turn have a positive effect on poor sleep quality and academic self-perception. Furthermore, compulsive smartphone use indirectly predicts sleep and academic problems through the mediating effect of technostress. The findings contribute to extend the existing technostress literature and provide valuable practical implications for smartphone-related designers, university teachers, and students.

Peer pressure and adolescent mobile social media addiction: Moderation analysis of self-esteem and self-concept clarity

Background

Social media addiction has increasingly been a critical social problem. We explored the association between peer pressure on mobile phone use and adolescent mobile social media addiction and tested whether self-esteem and self-concept clarity could buffer the effect of peer pressure.

Methods

830 adolescents (M _age = 14.480, SD_age = 1.789) participated in our anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire study.

Results

The results showed that peer pressure significantly predicted adolescent mobile social media addiction. Self-esteem moderated the effect of peer pressure on mobile social media addiction in that peer pressure had a weaker effect for adolescents with higher self-esteem. Self-concept clarity moderated the effect of peer pressure on mobile social media addiction in that peer pressure had a weaker effect for adolescents with higher self-esteem. The two moderators also interact in that the moderation of self-esteem was stronger for adolescents with higher self-concept clarity and the moderation of self-concept clarity for adolescents with higher self-esteem.

Conclusion

The results highlight the critical role of self-esteem and self-concept clarity in buffering the impact of peer pressure on mobile social media addiction. The findings promote a better understanding of how to buffer the undesirable effect of peer pressure and reduce the risk of mobile social media addiction among adolescents.

The Effect of WhatsApp Usage on Employee Innovative Performance at the Workplace: Perspective from the Stressor-Strain-Outcome Model

Social media applications have increasingly become a valuable platform for personal communication and knowledge sharing in working life. Several researchers have considered the direct role of social media usage in influencing job performance. However, limited studies explore how social media use may impact employees' job performance, especially in innovativeness. Moreover, inconsistencies in the findings exist in the literature regarding whether social media improves employees' job performance or causes harm. By adapting the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) model, the present study investigates how WhatsApp use at work can predict social media overloads that might induce technostress and, subsequently, affect employees' innovative job performance. Thus, 206 Malaysian employees from the government and private sectors participated in this study and the data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that social media, predominantly WhatsApp, used at work has a mild but statistically significant influence on information overload, communication overload, and social overload. In addition, information overload and communication overload positively influence technostress, except for social overload. Subsequently, technostress does not have an impact on innovative job performance. This study provides theoretical and practical implications for extending the knowledge and mitigating plans and efforts to improve employees' performance at work. Therefore, this study helps mitigate the dearth of research pertaining to the roles of social media use at work on employees' innovative job performance.

Modeling the influencing factors of electronic word-of-mouth about CSR on social networking sites

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) information can now be disseminated via social networking sites. An organization's image and upcoming portfolios are directly affected by electronic word of mouth (eWOM). It generates from its customers, employees, and other stakeholders. We developed a critical model to enlighten the behavior to share and comment on a negative news story about CSR displayed on Wechat and QQ to figure out what was causing this behavior. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and the partial least squares regression (PLS) approach were used to conduct a self-administered survey of hotel customers in China. Social and environmental awareness, information usefulness, corporate image, and a company's motivation to comment and share on CSR news were all considered explanatory variables in our study. We asked 300 Wechat and QQ users to rate a fake environmental news story. We found that social and environmental awareness affects the effectiveness of information and the attitude toward behavior, which may describe the eWOM intent of the particular news. On the other hand, corporate reputation could discourage people from disseminating eWOM and sharing the news with their social linkage contacts. The findings of the study suggest having a better understanding of how specific CSR activities can increase customers' commitment, which leads to positive eWOM, will benefit the hotel industry.

Social Networking Site Use and Loneliness: A Meta-Analysis

The popularity of social networking sites (SNSs) has drawn researchers' attention in recent years, and a large amount of efforts have been made to explore the association between SNS use and loneliness, however, they provided mixed results. This meta-analysis was conducted to confirm the relationship, based on 82 articles consisting of 90 independent samples with a total of 48,383 participants. A random-effects model was used to analyze main effects and revealed that SNS use and loneliness were weakly, yet significantly positively correlated (r = 0.052). The type of SNS use moderated the relationship. Specifically, abnormal and passive SNS use was significantly and positively correlated with loneliness; however, no significant differences were observed in the relationships between general and active use of SNSs and loneliness. In addition, the moderating effects of gender, age, and culture were not significant.

Adolescents' Algorithmic Resistance to Short Video APP's Recommendation: The Dual Mediating Role of Resistance Willingness and Resistance Intention

Adolescents have gradually become a vital group of interacting with social media recommendation algorithms. Although numerous studies have been conducted to investigate negative reactions (both psychological and behavioral reactance) that the dark side of recommendation algorithms brings to social media users, little is known about the resistance intention and behavior based on their agency in the daily process of encountering algorithms. Focusing on the concept of algorithm resistance, this study used a two-path model (distinguishing resistance willingness and resistance intention) to investigate the algorithmic resistance of rural Chinese adolescents (N = 905) in their daily use of short video apps. The findings revealed that the perceived threat to freedom, algorithmic literacy, and peer influence were positively associated with the resistance willingness and intention; while the independent psychology on algorithmic recommendations significantly weakened resistance willingness and intention. Furthermore, this study verified the mediating role of resistance willingness and intention between the above independent variables and resistance behavior. Additionally, the positive impact of resistance willingness on resistance intention was confirmed. In conclusion, this study offers a comprehensive approach to further understanding adolescents' algorithmic resistance awareness and behavior by combining psychological factors, personal competency, and interpersonal influences, as well as two types of resistance reactions (rational and irrational).

Sustaining the Benefits of Social Media on Users’ Health Beliefs Regarding COVID-19 Prevention

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has facilitated the efficient and effective dissemination of healthcare information and helped governments keep in touch with their citizens. Research has indicated that social media can exert negative and positive influences on users’ mental health. One negative effect is social media fatigue caused by information overload. However, under the current pandemic, comprehensive research has yet to be executed on the effect exerted by social media on users’ health beliefs and subjective well-being (SWB). Consequently, we conducted our research to probe the influence of social media on users’ perceptions of COVID-19 prevention. This study established a research model based on 340 valid responses to an online questionnaire survey from Taiwan. SmartPLS 3.0 was used to verify the developed measurement and structural models. We found social media users’ incidental and focused knowledge gain positively related to their social media intensity. In addition, social media intensity positively correlated with health beliefs and SWB. Accordingly, we can determine that proper social media use can enhance health beliefs. Based on our derived findings, we propose a set of practical recommendations to leverage social media effectively and sustainably during, and after, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investigating the Impacts of Information Overload on Psychological Well-being of Healthcare Professionals: Role of COVID-19 Stressor

While past research has focused on the benefits of social media during pandemics, this study emphasizes the possible negative effects of social media use among healthcare professionals. It has been stated that healthcare professionals are exposed to COVID-19 and its impacts on the mental health of these workers. Even though recognizing the importance of healthcare professionals during the pandemic, the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare professionals have been rarely considered for investigation by researchers. By applying differential susceptibility to the media effects model (DSMM), the current article investigated the effect of COVID-19 information overload (CIO) on psychological and mental well-being and underline mechanisms. Time-wave technique was applied to collect the data. This study tested moderated mediation model by collecting data from 314 healthcare professionals. The findings stated that COVID-19 information overload impacted COVID-19 fatalism and COVID-19 exhaustion directly. Likewise, COVID-19 fatalism mediated the association between CIO and COVID-19 exhaustion. Moreover, the COVID-19 stressor moderated this mediating relationship. This study proposes several practical recommendations for healthcare professionals, social media platform providers, health authorities, organizations, and institutions on how to use social media effectively and sustainably during the global COVID-19 epidemic.