Social media fatigue among university students: a configural modeling of stressors and distractions

Purpose This study explores configurations of social media stressors (i.e. fear of missing out, malicious envy, and social media craving) and distractions (i.e. distractions outside and distractions within social media) that predict university students’ social media fatigue. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected via a survey of university students in France. Complexity theory and accurate case-outcome modeling were used to analyze the data. Findings The results show that social media fatigue is most likely to occur when all three stressors—fear of missing out, malicious envy, and social media craving—are high; or when all three stressors are high, and at the same time, there are low levels of both distractions outside and within social media, or when any one of these stressors is high, and there is also a lack of distractions. Conversely, low levels of stressors combined with high levels of both distractions predict low social media fatigue. Practical implications This study informs firms/brands and social media platforms about the phenomenon of social media fatigue among students that is driven by fear of missing out, malicious envy, and social media craving. In addition, the study advocates the implementation of strategies that encourage firms/brands and social media platforms to regulate social media habits among users, thereby reducing social media fatigue. Originality/value This study highlights the complex interplay among stressors and distractions in shaping social media fatigue. The study enriches the theoretical body on the dark side of social media and may help practitioners develop strategies to mitigate university students’ social media fatigue. This study considers the joint contribution of stressors and distractions as well as measuring their independent influence. The study sheds light on the complexity of social media fatigue and offers valuable findings.