Examining users’ novelty-seeking behavior on social networking sites: a transactional theory of stress and coping perspective

Purpose Users of social networking sites (SNSs) often engage in novelty-seeking behavior. However, the existing SNS literature has not explored this issue. Therefore, this study is based on the transactional theory of stress and coping (TTSC) to investigate the antecedents and mechanisms that lead to users’ novelty-seeking behavior on SNSs. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a survey questionnaire to collect two different sample data. The first sample data are used to test the research hypotheses with the adoption of structural equation modeling. The second sample data are used to validate the results of hypothesis testing. Findings Findings indicate that information overload is not directly related to novelty-seeking behavior, whereas social overload is directly related to novelty-seeking behavior. In addition, psychological distress serves as a positive mediator in the link between information overload and novelty-seeking behavior, as well as between social overload and novelty-seeking behavior. Furthermore, users’ gender and age moderate the relationship between psychological distress and novelty-seeking behavior. Originality/value This study extends the TTSC to clarify the antecedents and mechanisms leading to users’ novelty-seeking behavior on SNSs. It is the first study that examines the issue of novelty-seeking behavior on SNSs. The findings provide implications for researchers and practitioners in understanding and managing user behavior on SNSs.