From excitement to exit: the chain mediating effect of fear of missing out and fatigue on discontinuance in Chinese e-commerce live streaming

Purpose This research employs the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) model to analyze how perceived overloads and techno-invasion influence discontinuance intention on e-commerce live streaming (ELS) platforms. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted among 373 Chinese participants who had made purchases on ELS platforms. The questionnaire results were evaluated using Smart PLS software for structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. Findings Information overload, system function overload, social overload and techno-invasion significantly impact consumers' fear of missing out (FoMO) and fatigue. Techno-invasion has the strongest effect on both FoMO and fatigue. Additionally, FoMO positively influences fatigue, and fatigue significantly impacts discontinuance intention. FoMO and fatigue act as chain mediating factors between the stressors (information overload and techno-invasion) and discontinuance intention. However, no significant mediating effects were identified for system function overload and social overload. Originality/value This study extends the contextual boundary of both discontinuance research and the SSO model to ELS platforms. The model is further refined by incorporating techno-invasion as a distinct stressor. Moreover, this study deepens the SSO model's explanatory power for discontinuance by shifting the focus from isolated strains to cumulative emotional mechanisms (e.g. FoMO and fatigue).