Unpacking the Social Media Happiness Paradox: How Social Media Stressors Undermine Subjective Well-Being Through Social Media Fatigue
Yuzi Liu, Hua Pang, Yunze Zhao · 2026
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Description
Yuzi Liu, Hua Pang, and Yunze Zhao examine the social media happiness paradox in this 2026 study. Platforms promise connection, yet heavy use often pairs with strain and lower well-being. The team draws on social comparison theory and a stress-strain-outcome frame. They test how three stressors link to social media fatigue and to life satisfaction, using 748 valid survey responses.
Social overload, fear of missing out, and the habit of comparing upward all tied to more fatigue. All three also tied directly to lower well-being. Fatigue carried part of each stressor's link to well-being. The pattern fits a single stress account of the paradox. The authors point to design and habit changes that could ease fatigue, and to open questions for future digital well-being research.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Yuzi Liu, Hua Pang, Yunze Zhao |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 47 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |