Abstract
Existing research indicates that social media overload, as an emerging phenomenon, has become prevalent among college students and caused unfavorable consequences. However, few studies have emphasized the detrimental effects which social media overload plays on international students in higher education. To address this gap, this current investigation combines quantitative data with the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) paradigm to explore how social media overload impacts international students’ educational attainment. The study proposes that three forms of perceived overload, including information overload, communication overload, and technology overload, may induce international students’ academic anxiety and social media exhaustion, which can adversely affect their educational attainment. The conceptual research model is empirically examined by analyzing statistical data collected from 486 Chinese international students who actively utilize social networking sites. Results demonstrate that information overload and communication overload could indirectly undermine international students’ educational attainment via the mediation of social media exhaustion and academic anxiety. Moreover, this research also identifies that social media exhaustion could significantly trigger academic anxiety among international students. Consequently, this research complements theory-driven empirical research on the phenomenon of social media overload by employing the SSO framework and revealing the mechanism through which perceived overload affects the educational attainment of international students. The results obtained contribute to a better comprehension of the adverse consequences of SNS usage from the perspective of perceived overload, further providing fresh insights into how multiple stakeholders can reduce these unfavorable aspects through effective measures.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Change history
29 August 2023
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05087-x
References
Ali Homaid, A. (2022). Problematic social media use and associated consequences on academic performance decrement during Covid-19. Addictive Behaviors, 132, 107370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107370
Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 411. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.411
Asad, M. M., Erum, D., Churi, P., & Guerrero, A. J. M. (2023). Effect of technostress on psychological well-being of post-graduate students: A perspective and correlational study of higher education management. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 3(1), 100149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjimei.2022.100149
Bresciani, S., Rehman, S. U., Giovando, G., & Alam, G. M. (2023). The role of environmental management accounting and environmental knowledge management practices influence on environmental performance: Mediated-moderated model. Journal of Knowledge Management, 27(4), 896–918.
Cao, X., & Sun, J. (2018). Exploring the effect of overload on the discontinuous intention of social media users: An S-O-R perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 81, 10–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.035
Cao, C., Zhu, C., & Meng, Q. (2021). Chinese international Students' coping strategies, social support resources in response to academic stressors: Does heritage culture or host context matter? Current Psychology, 40(1), 242–252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9929-0
Carmona-Halty, M., Salanova, M., Llorens, S., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2021). Linking positive emotions and academic performance: The mediated role of academic psychological capital and academic engagement. Current Psychology, 40(6), 2938–2947. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00227-8
Casali, N., Ghisi, M., Rizzato, R., Meneghetti, C., & De Beni, R. (2022). Validation of the “study-anxiety” questionnaire: A scale for the initial assessment of university students seeking psychological help. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-022-09982-8
Casey, S. M., Varela, A., Marriott, J. P., Coleman, C. M., & Harlow, B. L. (2022). The influence of diagnosed mental health conditions and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety on suicide ideation, plan, and attempt among college students: Findings from the healthy minds study, 2018-2019. Journal of Affective Disorders, 298, 464–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.11.006
Chen, X. F., Ma, J. Q., Wei, J. N., & Yang, S. Q. (2021). The role of perceived integration in WeChat usages for seeking information and sharing comments: A social capital perspective. Information & Management, 58(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2020.103280
Chen, Y. A., Fan, T., Toma, C. L., & Scherr, S. (2022). International students' psychosocial well-being and social media use at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 137, 107409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107409
Choi, S. B., & Lim, M. S. (2016). Effects of social and technology overload on psychological well-being in young south Korean adults: The mediatory role of social network service addiction. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 245–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.032
Dhir, A., Yossatorn, Y., Kaur, P., & Chen, S. (2018). Online social media fatigue and psychological wellbeing—A study of compulsive use, fear of missing out, fatigue, anxiety and depression. International Journal of Information Management, 40, 141–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.01.012
Dhir, A., Kaur, P., Chen, S., & Pallesen, S. (2019). Antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue. International Journal of Information Management, 48, 193–202.
Fishstrom, S., Wang, H. H., Bhat, B. H., Daniel, J., Dille, J., Capin, P., & Vaughn, S. (2022). A meta-analysis of the effects of academic interventions on academic achievement and academic anxiety outcomes in elementary school children. Journal of School Psychology, 92, 265–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2022.03.011
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104
Fu, S. X., & Li, H. X. (2022). Understanding social media discontinuance from social cognitive perspective: Evidence from Facebook users. Journal of Information Science, 48(4), 544–560. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551520968688
Fu, S., Li, H., Liu, Y., Pirkkalainen, H., & Salo, M. (2020). Social media overload, exhaustion, and use discontinuance: Examining the effects of information overload, system feature overload, and social overload. Information Processing & Management, 57(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2020.102307
Hasty, L. M., Malanchini, M., Shakeshaft, N., Schofield, K., Malanchini, M., & Wang, Z. (2020). When anxiety becomes my propeller: Mental toughness moderates the relation between academic anxiety and academic avoidance. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 91(1), 368–390. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12366
Hettige, S., Dasanayaka, E., & Ediriweera, D. S. (2022). Student usage of open educational resources and social media at a Sri Lanka medical school. BMC Medical Education, 22(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03106-2
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling-a Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
Jabeen, F., Tandon, A., Azad, N., Islam, A. K. M. N., & Pereira, V. (2023). The dark side of social media platforms: A situation-organism-behaviour-consequence approach. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 186, 122104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122104
Jia, J., Wang, L. L., Xu, J. B., Lin, X. H., Zhang, B., & Jiang, Q. (2021). Self-handicapping in Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of academic anxiety. Procrastination and hardiness. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741821
Karr-Wisniewski, P., & Lu, Y. (2010). When more is too much: Operationalizing technology overload and exploring its impact on knowledge worker productivity. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(5), 1061–1072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.03.008
Koeske, G. F., & Koeske, R. D. (1993). A preliminary test of a stress-strain-outcome model for Reconceptualizing the burnout phenomenon. Journal of Social Service Research, 17(3-4), 107–135. https://doi.org/10.1300/J079v17n03_06
Kolhar, M., Kazi, R. N. A., & Alameen, A. (2021). Effect of social media use on learning, social interactions, and sleep duration among university students. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 28(4), 2216–2222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.01.010
Lee, A. R., Son, S.-M., & Kim, K. K. (2016). Information and communication technology overload and social networking service fatigue: A stress perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.08.011
Li, X., & Chan, M. (2021). Smartphone uses and emotional and psychological well-being in China: The attenuating role of perceived information overload. Behaviour & Information Technology, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2021.1929489
Li, L., & Peng, W. (2019). Transitioning through social media: International students' SNS use, perceived social support, and acculturative stress. Computers in Human Behavior, 98, 69–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.03.011
Lin, S. Z., Lin, J. B., Luo, X., & Liu, S. (2021). Juxtaposed effect of social media overload on discontinuous usage intention: The perspective of stress coping strategies. Information Processing & Management, 58(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2020.102419
Loh, X. K., Lee, V. H., Loh, X. M., Tan, G. W., Ooi, K. B., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2021). The dark side of Mobile learning via social media: How bad can it get? Information Systems Frontiers, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10202-z
Lv, X., Zhang, R., & Li, Q. (2021). Value co-destruction: The influence of failed interactions on members’ behaviors in online travel communities. Computers in Human Behavior, 122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106829
Lyngdoh, T., El-Manstrly, D., & Jeesha, K. (2023). Social isolation and social anxiety as drivers of generation Z's willingness to share personal information on social media. Psychology & Marketing, 40(1), 5–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21744
Ma, X. M., Sun, Y. Q., Guo, X. T., Lai, K. H., & Vogel, D. (2022). Understanding users' negative responses to recommendation algorithms in short-video platforms: A perspective based on the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework. Electronic Markets, 32(1), 41–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-021-00488-x
Malak, M. Z., Shuhaiber, A. H., Al-amer, R. M., Abuadas, M. H., & Aburoomi, R. J. (2021). Correlation between psychological factors, academic performance and social media addiction: Model-based testing. Behaviour & Information Technology, 41(8), 1583–1595. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2021.1891460
Malik, A., Dhir, A., Kaur, P., & Johri, A. (2020). Correlates of social media fatigue and academic performance decrement. Information Technology & People, 34(2), 557–580. https://doi.org/10.1108/itp-06-2019-0289
Mok, K. H., Xiong, W., Ke, G., & Cheung, J. O. W. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on international higher education and student mobility: Student perspectives from mainland China and Hong Kong. International Journal of Educational Research, 105, 101718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101718
Moqbel, M., & Kock, N. (2018). Unveiling the dark side of social networking sites: Personal and work-related consequences of social networking site addiction. Information & Management, 55(1), 109–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2017.05.001
Niu, G. F., Yao, L. S., Tian, Y., Sun, X. J., & Zhou, Z. K. (2022). Information overload and the intention to reduce SNS usage: The mediating roles of negative social comparison and fatigue. Current Psychology, 41(8), 5212–5219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01043-1
Nurudeen, M., Abdul-Samad, S., Owusu-Oware, E., Koi-Akrofi, G. Y., & Tanye, H. A. (2022). Measuring the effect of social media on student academic performance using a social media influence factor model. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11196-0
Pang, H. (2021). How compulsive WeChat use and information overload affect social media fatigue and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic? A stressor-strain-outcome perspective. Telematics and Informatics, 64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101690
Pang, H., & Liu, Y. (2023). Untangling the effect of cognitive trust and perceived value on health-related information seeking, sharing and psychological well-being: Motivations sought perspective. Telematics and Informatics, 79, 101964. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2023.101964
Pang, H., & Ruan, Y. (2023). Determining influences of information irrelevance, information overload and communication overload on WeChat discontinuance intention: The moderating role of exhaustion. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 72, 103289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103289
Park, H. J. (2022). Impact of Facebook usage intensity on fear of missing out and depression: Moderated mediating effect of Facebook usage behaviour. Telematics and Informatics, 74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2022.101878
Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects. Journal of Management, 12(4), 531–544. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920638601200408
Qi, C. (2019). A double-edged sword? Exploring the impact of students' academic usage of mobile devices on technostress and academic performance. Behaviour & Information Technology, 38(12), 1337–1354. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2019.1585476
Rehman, S. U., Bhatti, A., Kraus, S., & Ferreira, J. J. M. (2021a). The role of environmental management control systems for ecological sustainability and sustainable performance. Management Decision, 59(9), 2217–2237. https://doi.org/10.1108/md-06-2020-0800
Rehman, S. U., Kraus, S., Shah, S. A., Khanin, D., & Mahto, R. V. (2021b). Analyzing the relationship between green innovation and environmental performance in large manufacturing firms. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 163, 120481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120481
Rehman, S. U., Bresciani, S., Ashfaq, K., & Alam, G. M. (2022a). Intellectual capital, knowledge management and competitive advantage: A resource orchestration perspective. Journal of Knowledge Management, 26(7), 1705–1731. https://doi.org/10.1108/jkm-06-2021-0453
Rehman, S. U., Bresciani, S., Yahiaoui, D., & Giacosa, E. (2022b). Environmental sustainability orientation and corporate social responsibility influence on environmental performance of small and medium enterprises: The mediating effect of green capability. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 29(6), 1954–1967. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2293
Sheng, N., Yang, C., Han, L., & Jou, M. (2023). Too much overload and concerns: Antecedents of social media fatigue and the mediating role of emotional exhaustion. Computers in Human Behavior, 139, 107500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107500
Shi, C., Yu, L., Wang, N., Cheng, B., & Cao, X. (2020). Effects of social media overload on academic performance: A stressor–strain–outcome perspective. Asian Journal of Communication, 30(2), 179–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/01292986.2020.1748073
Singh, P., Bala, H., Dey, B. L., & Filieri, R. (2022). Enforced remote working: The impact of digital platform-induced stress and remote working experience on technology exhaustion and subjective wellbeing. Journal of Business Research, 151, 269–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.07.002
Tarchi, C., & Surian, A. (2022). Promoting intercultural competence in study abroad students. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 37(1), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-021-00554-0
Teng, Z., Wei, Z., Qiu, Y., Tan, Y., Chen, J., Tang, H., Wu, H., Wu, R., & Huang, J. (2020). Psychological status and fatigue of frontline staff two months after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in China: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 275, 247–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.032
Teng, L., Liu, D., & Luo, J. (2021). Explicating user negative behavior toward social media: An exploratory examination based on stressor–strain–outcome model. Cognition, Technology & Work, 24(1), 183–194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-021-00665-0
Vitasari, P., Wahab, M. N. A., Othman, A., Herawan, T., & Sinnadurai, S. K. (2010). The relationship between study anxiety and academic performance among engineering students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 8, 490–497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.067
Wang, T., & Deng, X. N. (2022). User characteristics, social media use, and fatigue during the coronavirus pandemic: A stressor-strain-outcome framework. Computers in Human Behavior, 7, 100218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2022.100218
Wu, M., & Pei, Y. (2022). Linking social media overload to health misinformation dissemination: An investigation of the underlying mechanisms. Telematics and Informatics Reports, 8, 100020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teler.2022.100020
Xiao, H., Zhang, Z. D., & Zhang, L. (2023). An investigation on information quality, media richness, and social media fatigue during the disruptions of COVID-19 pandemic. Current Psychology, 42(3), 2488–2499. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02253-x
Xu, C., & Yan, W. H. (2022). The relationship between information overload and state of anxiety in the period of regular epidemic prevention and control in China: A moderated multiple mediation model. Current Psychology, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03289-3
Yan, Q., Chen, Y. P., Jiang, Y. X., & Chen, H. J. (2022). Exploring the impact of envy and admiration on social media fatigue: Social media loneliness and anxiety as mediators. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02904-7
Yu, A. Y., Tian, S. W., Vogel, D., & Kwok, R. C. W. (2010). Can learning be virtually boosted? An investigation of online social networking impacts. Computers & Education, 55(4), 1494–1503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.06.015
Yu, L. L., Zhong, Y. W., Sun, Y., & Qin, G. C. (2022). The impact of excessive social media use at work: A usage experience-stressor-strain perspective. Behaviour & Information Technology, 20. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2022.2054358
Zhang, S., Zhao, L., Lu, Y., & Yang, J. (2016). Do you get tired of socializing? An empirical explanation of discontinuous usage behaviour in social network services. Information & Management, 53(7), 904–914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2016.03.006
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Independent Innovation Foundation of Tianjin University (No. 2023XS-0119).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
None.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
The original version of this article has been revised to correct the structuring of the author name Li Quan.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Pang, H., Quan, L. & Lu, J. How does perceived overload influence international students’ educational attainment? The mediating roles of social media exhaustion and academic anxiety. Curr Psychol 43, 7794–7808 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04984-5
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04984-5