Social Media Fatigue and Coping Mechanism: An Integrative Review and Future Research Directions

The growing use of mobile social media has reduced users’ enthusiasm for social platforms, leading to social media fatigue. Although many studies have examined this phenomenon across different contexts and variables, a comprehensive overview of the literature and clear future research directions remain lacking. To address this gap, the present study systematically reviews research on social media fatigue, drawing on articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus up to June 30, 2024. Following PRISMA guidelines, 113 articles were analyzed through qualitative assessment and the Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Method (TCCM) framework. The review shows that research interest has increased significantly in the last three years, with most studies conducted in China, the USA, and India. Stressor–strain–outcomes and Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) emerged as the dominant theoretical frameworks. Key antecedents include information overload, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), and privacy concerns, while mental health is the primary outcome.