Network matters: An examination of the direct and mediated influences of network size and heterogeneity on WeChat fatigue

Abstract

While social networks compose the foundation for digital socialization, the extant body of social media fatigue research primarily focuses on psychological factors. This study proposes a new theoretical model to consider the sociological-level factors of network size and heterogeneity to influence individuals' perceived WeChat fatigue. Based on a national representative sample of 6002 Chinese WeChat adult users, results showed that there existed a significant positive curvilinear relationship between size and WeChat fatigue. That is, size was negatively correlated with fatigue up to a certain point and positively correlated with fatigue beyond that. Furthermore, social overload mediated the non-linear relationship between size and fatigue such that at moderate-to-high levels of size, any addition of new friends increased fatigue through incurred social overload. Moreover, heterogeneity showed a significant negative correlation with fatigue. Lastly, size and heterogeneity led to fatigue feelings mediated via perceptions of fear of missing out (FOMO). Our findings demonstrate the necessity of integrating a social network perspective in examining social media psychology. Practical implications for enhancing social media users’ well-being are also discussed from a provider-centered and a user-centered perspective.