The impact of social media fatigue on college students' mental health: Coping strategies and outcomes across different demographics

Project Abstract

This study examines how social media fatigue affects mental health among college students, with particular attention to coping strategies and outcomes across diverse demographic groups. Using a cross-sectional, mixed-methods design, data were collected from 1,200 undergraduate students across multiple universities, supplemented by 40 in-depth interviews to capture nuanced experiences. Quantitative analyses employed structural equation modeling to test a theoretical framework linking social media fatigue—characterized by cognitive overload, emotional exhaustion, decreased motivation, and perceived intrusion—to indicators of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and self-esteem. Moderation analyses assessed demographic factors including gender, age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and academic discipline, while coping strategies were categorized into problem-focused, emotion-focused, meaning-focused, and digital mindfulness approaches. Qualitative findings identified coping routines such as behavioral boundary-setting (e.g., scheduled use, muting notifications), content curation (unfollowing or switching platforms), social compensation (seeking offline support), and ritualized disengagement (digital detox periods), revealing variance in effectiveness across subgroups. The results indicate that higher social media fatigue is significantly associated with elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression, poorer sleep quality, and lower self-esteem, mediated by perceived social isolation and negative self-appraisal. Coping strategies moderated these relationships meaning-focused coping and digital mindfulness buffered negative outcomes, whereas excessive avoidance and avoidance-based withdrawal exacerbated distress. Demographic analyses revealed that fatigue effects were more pronounced among first-year students and individuals from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds, potentially due to higher social comparison pressures and academic transition stressors. Gender differences emerged, with female students reporting higher fatigue-related distress yet greater utilization of emotion-focused coping in some contexts, while male students demonstrated a greater tendency toward behavioral regulation strategies. The study also uncovered nuanced interactions with academic discipline, where students in humanities and social sciences reported greater fatigue impact correlates, possibly reflecting differences in online engagement patterns and social validation experiences. Implications for institutional policy and intervention design include the development of targeted digital literacy programs, promotion of healthy social media boundaries within orientation initiatives, and the integration of accessible mental health resources that acknowledge diverse coping repertoires. The findings contribute to a refined understanding of social media fatigue as a multifaceted construct influencing mental health through cognitive, emotional, and social pathways, with practical guidance for tailoring support services to demographic subgroups. Limitations include cross-sectional design constraints, potential self-report biases, and cultural factors that may influence symptom reporting. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to establish causal pathways, investigate longitudinal effects of coping trajectory shifts, and explore the role of platform-specific features in fatigue dynamics. Overall, the study underscores the necessity for universities to recognize social media fatigue as a salient determinant of student well-being and to implement evidence-based interventions that promote adaptive coping and resilient digital engagement.

Project Overview

What This Project Is About

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A plain-language overview of how social media use can become tiring or overwhelming, and how that fatigue relates to students’ mental health. It also looks at what strategies students use to cope and whether these strategies work differently for various demographic groups (like gender, age, year in college, or cultural background). The goal is to understand what makes social media fatigue worse or better, and how campuses can support healthier use.

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The Problem It Addresses

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Many students report feeling drained by constant online activity, yet schools often lack clear guidance on how fatigue affects mood, stress, and sleep. This project fills a gap by linking fatigue levels to mental health outcomes and by examining which coping methods help or hinder, with attention to differences across demographics.

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Objectives of the Project

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1. Identify how social media fatigue relates to indicators of mental health (e.g., stress, anxiety, sleep quality).
2. Explore coping strategies students use and assess which are most effective.
3. Examine differences in fatigue and coping across demographic groups.
4. Provide practical recommendations for students and universities to reduce fatigue and support mental health.

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What You Will Do Step by Step

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1. Review existing research on social media use, fatigue, and mental health.
2. Design a simple survey to measure fatigue, well-being, and coping strategies.
3. Recruit a diverse group of undergraduate participants.
4. Collect data online and ensure privacy and consent.
5. Analyze the data for overall trends and subgroup differences.
6. Interpret findings and relate them to practical recommendations.
7. Draft a concise report suitable for a final-year project.

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Expected Outcome

A clear picture of how fatigue from social media links to mental health in college students, with evidence on which coping methods help or harm, and guidance tailored to different student groups to reduce fatigue and improve well-being.