Negative Impact of Social Network Services Based on Stressor-Stress-Outcome: The Role of Experience of Privacy Violations

• Main Authors: Sanghyun Kim, Hyunsun Park, Moon Jong Choi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-06-01
• Series: Future Internet
• Subjects: social network service; SNS fatigue; living disorder; reduced intention to use SNSs; experience of privacy violations
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/11/6/137

Social network service (SNS) information has benefited many individuals. However, as such information has increased exponentially, the number of SNS users has increased dramatically and negative effects of SNSs on users have emerged. Many SNS users experience negative psychological conditions such as fatigue, burnout, and stress. Thus, in this study, we investigated the SNS and user characteristics that affect SNS fatigue, living disorder, and reduced SNS use intention. We developed a research model to examine the impact of two SNS characteristics (irrelevant information overload and open reachability) and two user characteristics (engagement and maintaining self-reputation) on SNS fatigue. We also examined the role of the experience of privacy violations in the relationship between living disorder and reduced SNS use intention. We collected data from 579 SNS users and created a partial least squares structural equation model to test the hypotheses. The results of the analysis showed that three factors, other than open reachability, positively affected SNS fatigue. Furthermore, we found that SNS fatigue significantly affected living disorder and reduced SNS use intention, and that experience of privacy violations significantly affected the relationship between living disorder and reduced SNS use intention. These results expand our understanding of SNS fatigue and users’ negative behaviors.