Exploring the relationship between after-hours work-related social media use and teacher job burnout

Teaching is widely recognized as a profession characterized by high levels of occupational stress. This study investigates the impact of teachers' after-hours work-related social media communication (WRSMU) on job burnout, as well as the mediating role of work stress within the framework of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Furthermore, the study examines whether teachers' work values moderate the relationship between after-hours work-related social media use and work stress. The study targeted university teachers in Sichuan province, China, and employed a questionnaire survey to collect data. A total of 936 questionnaires were distributed, of which 842 were deemed valid. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 24.0 to test the conceptual model. The results indicated that: (1) There is a positive relationship between work-related social media use (WRSMU) outside regular work hours and work stress. (2) Work stress plays a mediating role between WRSMU after work and job burnout. The antecedents of teacher job burnout are a topic worthy of attention in both academic and practice. This study highlights the complex relationship between teachers' after-hours work-related social media use (WRSMU), work stress, work values, and job burnout. The findings demonstrate that while Work-related public social media use after work hours can enhance communication efficiency, excessive use after work hours increases work stress and contributes to job burnout. In addition, future studies can investigate other moderating or mediating variables that affect teacher job burnout.