Three Steps to Fight Social Media Burnout

In The Age of Zoom Fatigue

Back in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when baking sourdough bread was trendy and toilet paper was still scarce, people were happily logging onto Zoom to connect with loved ones and chat with colleagues. However, after several months of restrictions, people started logging on a little less happily. Maybe even begrudgingly. 

With all the video calls happening at work and at home (the line between which was all but erased in 2020), people began to feel like they constantly needed to be “on.” Enter Zoom fatigue: a term coined to describe that feeling of, ugh do I really need to turn on my video for this meeting?

While Zoom fatigue has been weighing us down at work, its lesser known cousin, social media fatigue, has been wearing us down after we clock out. And although it’s too early to say what the consequences of Zoom fatigue could be on our health or productivity, based on how we’re all feeling, we’d guess that it's not good. 

Research on social media fatigue is a bit further along; some studies have found that it’s associated with depression and anxiety. Researchers Jianling Ma and Chang Liu set out to learn more about this issue, specifically looking at which factors cause people to experience social media fatigue. In 2020, they published their findings in an article titled “Social media addiction and burnout: The mediating roles of envy and social media use anxiety.”

What did they find? That social media addiction, envy, and anxiety were all significant predictors of social media fatigue. Below, we’ll break down what this means for you and us and get into what you can do to combat social media fatigue.

What Does Research Say About Burnout?

Social media fatigue, also known as social media burnout, refers to when a person feels exhausted during or after using social media. Some of the symptoms of social media burnout include a reduced interest in logging on and maybe even an eagerness to escape the platforms. Researchers believe that people develop social media burnout when they are overwhelmed by information or communication. However, researchers aren’t exactly sure what causes some people to experience this and not others.

Liu and Ma hypothesized that social media burnout may be linked to social media addiction, envy, and anxiety. To test their hypothesis, the researchers had 519 university students complete questionnaires that measured social media envy, addiction, anxiety, and burnout. 

Are Social Media Addiction, Envy, Anxiety, and Burnout Related?

Based on the study’s findings, the researchers found that social media addiction did in fact contribute to social media burnout. Furthermore, they realized that the severity of the burnout symptoms increased in proportion to the severity of the addiction (the greater the addiction, the more intense the burnout). Although prior studies imply this association, the present study confirms this link.

When you think about it, it makes sense: Spending more time on social media increases your chances of being exposed to more than enough information to make you feel like you’ve had your fill of Facebook for one day. 

Liu and Ma also found that envy and anxiety mediated the relationship between social media addiction and burnout. In other words, their findings suggest that social media addiction leads to social media burnout because the former causes envy and anxiety. 

As you might have guessed, none of this is good for your health. Previous research has found that excessive social media use can lead to poor sleep quality, lower happiness, and worse academic performance. What’s more, both excessive social media use and burnout have been linked to anxiety and depression. 

How Can I Fight Social Media Burnout?

To combat social media burnout, Liu and Ma recommend reducing your use of social media. Secondly, the researchers suggest stepping off the sidelines when you do go online. Studies have shown that passively using social media undermines well-being, so don't just scroll until you're so tired your eyes glaze over! Send a message, share a photo, call a friend, or join a group—whatever you do, it helps to be an active social media user while cutting back on the total amount of time you spend online.

The third way to reduce social media burnout is to tackle your anxiety (easier said than done, we know). Fortunately, there have never been more mental mental health resources and professionals have never been more readily available. If anxiety is becoming a problem in your life, speak with a healthcare professional to learn more about your options.

It's worth noting that the current study didn't follow people over time. Also, Liu and Ma only recruited university students for their study and the questionnaire they filled out was entirely self-reported. This means that the results might not be applicable to other demographics and that more research is needed before drawing conclusions about the relationship between social media addiction and burnout. 

What we know for sure is that the choices you make every day in using social media add up. By cutting back on your screen time, using social media in an active way when you’re online, and tackling your anxiety, you'll be less likely to experience social media burnout and all the baggage that comes along with it.

Study Objective & Methods

Social media addiction and burnout: The mediating roles of envy and social media use anxiety

Chang Liu, PhD; Jianling Ma, PhD

Published in Current Psychology, 2020.

Through this study, Liu and Ma aimed to gain a better understanding of why people experience social media burnout. They proposed that social media addiction, envy, and anxiety may play a role. To test their hypothesis, the researchers had 519 university students fill out a questionnaire that assessed social media envy, addiction, anxiety, and burnout.

Social Media and Well-Being Training

This research (and all our social media and well-being articles) have laid the foundation for our 3-course program designed for anyone wanting to approach social media and communications in a way that protects well-being and puts people first. Learn more here.