An integrated model of the antecedents and consequences of perceived information overload using WeChat as an example

Abstract

In recent years, more and more social media users have complained of information overload. In this paper, we obtained data from surveys of users of the multi-purpose Chinese social website, WeChat, to develop an integrated model of information overload. The model was used to determine the antecedents and consequences of WeChat users' perceived information overload. A field survey of 244 WeChat users was conducted to test the research model and hypotheses. The results showed the following key findings: 1) the amount of information received and the length of content increased users' perceptions of information overload, while the number of WeChat subscriptions followed was not a significant factor; 2) users' perceptions of information overload were associated with negative emotions and increased intention to discontinue usage; 3) the type and severity of negative emotions and consequent likelihood of discontinuing usage will vary according to the users' different levels of experience. The implications of our results for researchers, website managers and psychosocial practitioners are discussed.