Author(s)

Li Kangni ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, Shanghai, 201200, China

Corresponding Author

Li Kangni

ABSTRACT

Based on the stressor–strain–outcome (SSO) model, this study examines the effects of compulsive use, information overload, and life intrusion on the decline in academic performance among university students, and tests the mediating role of social media fatigue. Using a sample of 360 undergraduate students from universities in Shanghai, structural equation modeling (SEM) and the Bootstrap method were employed for data analysis. The results indicate that all three categories of stressors significantly and positively predict both social media fatigue and declines in academic performance. Social media fatigue partially mediates the relationship between stressors and academic performance decline, with the total indirect effect accounting for 22.4% of the total effect. These findings provide empirical support for the development of digital literacy education, academic support systems, and psychological intervention strategies in higher education institutions.

KEYWORDS

Social media fatigue; University students; Stressor–strain–outcome model; Compulsive use; Information overload; Life intrusion

CITE THIS PAPER

Li Kangni. Understanding the Impact of Social Media Fatigue on the Decline in Academic Performance among University Students—From a Stressor–Strain–Outcome Perspective. Applied & Educational Psychology (2026). Vol. 7, No.1, 84-94. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/appep.2026.070110.

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