Excessive Use Of WeChat:A Study From The Stress Perspective

WeChat has become the irreplaceable communication app.It is a utility that greatly facilitates and augments communication over distances,includes many features and ways to gratify individuals' needs for entertainment and information.But any information system is a double-edged sword.Some may not be aware of the fact that when such technology becomes the way of life,it is often overused,which can lead to substantial negative health outcomes-from overload,to stress,and even depression.This is especially acute for students who manage their academic and work lives and have no choice but to use WeChat for communication.This study contributes useful practical knowledge to the existing pool of research on stress and health communication by drawing attention to problematic use of WeChat in the educational setting identifying stress-creators and their outcomes and ways to mitigate possible negative effects.Data from 174 respondents collected at a major university in China were analyzed,results and possible suggestions for students and faculty,as well as app developers are discussed.This study theorizes overuse and three major factors of overload that result from it,as well as reasons for overuse,their psychological and behavioral outcomes in form of social network fatigue and dissatisfaction,respectively,and coping interventions.The resulting structural model is validated and hypotheses are tested.Control variables gender and number of friends as moderators of effects are also examined.