Speaker
Description
Social media, an integral component of daily life, can affect psychological well-being and lead to a state known as social media fatigue (SMF). This study investigates the structure and psychometric properties of the Social Media Fatigue Scale (SMFS) and examines its relationships with related psychological constructs. Our sample comprised 329 individuals (Mage = 26, SD = 8.46; 26.1% males) who completed an online survey assessing SMF, trait anxiety, fear of missing out (FoMO), boredom proneness (BP), and problematic social media use. The latent structure of the SMFS was initially examined using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), subsequently corroborated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and comparatively analyzed with Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM). To further investigate the relationships between SMF and associated constructs, path analyses were conducted. The results revealed a refined brief scale with three factors within the ESEM framework, demonstrating excellent fit (χ^2= 43.620, df = 33, p = .083; RMSEA = .046, p = .54; CFI = .984; TLI = .967; SRMR = .033) and satisfying reliability (ω_F1= .75; ω_F2= .89; ω_F3= .73). Our findings also indicated that FoMO mediates the relationship between trait anxiety and SMF, predominantly through its fear component. Additionally, problematic social media use was identified as a moderator in the connection between SMF and apathy, a key aspect of BP. These outcomes highlight the complex interplay between personality traits and the psychological impact of social media usage.
