Detrimental influences of social comparison and problematic WeChat use on academic achievement: significant role of awareness of inattention

Purpose The primary purposes of this research are to empirically examine four distinctive technological traits (social comparisons, self-disclosure, information acquisition and entertainment acquisition) as significant determinants of problematic WeChat use among university students and to illuminate their connections with students’ awareness of inattention and declined academic achievement. Design/methodology/approach The study utilizes two established theoretical frameworks (the stressor-strain-outcome model and the transactional model of stress) to formulate a comprehensive conceptual study model. Data were collected from 770 WeChat users at mainland Chinese universities using a cross-sectional methodology. Primitive analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were employed to test the corresponding hypotheses. Findings The study demonstrates that all four technological traits significantly influence problematic WeChat use, which can disrupt students’ attention and contribute to declined academic achievement. Moreover, the detrimental impact of awareness of inattention on academic achievement is also demonstrated by the research. Research limitations/implications The findings deepen the comprehension of the detrimental influence of problematic WeChat use from the perspective of stress, offering valuable insights for both practitioners and scholars engaged in devising strategies to mitigate psychological problems encountered by social media users. Originality/value The underlying mechanism of problematic WeChat use in higher education has received limited attention. This study fills that gap and clarifies the adverse effects of social media use in mainland China.