Problematic Social Media Usage and Anxiety Among University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and the Moderating Role of Academic Burnout.

Yan Jiang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.612007

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 has greatly affected university students’ studies and life. This study aimed to examine the possible mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating role of academic burnout in the relationship between problematic social media usage and anxiety among university students during COVID-19. A total of 3,123 undergraduates from universities in Shanghai participated in an online survey from March to April 2020. The results showed that problematic social media usage among university students predicted their levels of anxiety. Mediation analysis indicated that psychological capital mediated the relationship between problematic social media usage and anxiety. Furthermore, for university students whose academic performance had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of both problematic social media usage and the psychological capital on anxiety were moderated by academic burnout. For university students whose academic performance was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, academic burnout moderated the effects of psychological capital but not the effects of problematic social media usage on anxiety. The results highlighted the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between problematic social media usage and anxiety. These findings provide practical insights into the development and implementation of psychological interventions when facing a pandemic.

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in December 2019 has spread to more than 200 countries and regions and infected 79,094,442 patients globally (96,074 in China) as of 24 December 2020
The present study investigated the relationship between problematic social media usage and anxiety among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic
It aimed to test a moderated mediation model in which the effects of problematic social media usage on anxiety were contingent on the intervening processes of psychological capital and academic burnout

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in December 2019 has spread to more than 200 countries and regions and infected 79,094,442 patients globally (96,074 in China) as of 24 December 2020. The pandemic brought the threat of physical health and psychological stress, such as anxiety, depression, and fear among the public (Song, 2020). The results from a recent meta-analysis documented high levels of both posttraumatic (26.2%) and psychological (23.1%) stress associated with COVID-19 (Cooke et al, 2020). Sizable proportions of the public not infected with COVID-19 reported panic and anxiety (Islam et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020). For both the infected and non-infected population, anxiety may be prevalent and devastating during this pandemic due to uncertainty, reduction in economic income, and the accompanying lack of a sense of security

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