Understanding the Path from Study Demands to Social Media Addiction

The Role of Burnout

Abstract

This study examined the mediation role of burnout on the relationship between study demands and social media addiction among university students. The participants were 373 undergraduate students (40.5% male, 59.5% female) aged 16–29 years (M = 21.13, SD = 2.96) drawn from a large public university in Southeast Nigeria. Participants completed the University Demand-Resource Questionnaire (UDRQ), Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS), and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Regression analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS macro indicated that study demands significantly predicted both burnout (β = .65, p < .001) and social media addiction (β = .76, p < .001). Burnout also significantly predicted social media addiction (β = .41, p < .001) and partially mediated the relationship between study demands and social media addiction (indirect effect = .27, p < .001). These findings support the Job Demands-Resources model and the Stress-Adaptation model, highlighting burnout as a key but partial pathway through which academic pressures contribute to problematic social media use. The results underscore the need for universities to implement workload management strategies and mental health interventions to mitigate burnout and social media addiction among students.