Social networking sites use and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of e-health literacy, fatigue, uncertainty, and stress

Abstract Excessive social media use during health crises can lead to information overload and psychological distress, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study investigated how social networking sites (SNS) affected life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic in I...

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Main Authors: Saeed Pahlevan Sharif, Navaz Naghavi, Osveh Esmaeelinezhad, Long She, Kelly-Ann Allen, Hamid Sharif-Nia, Pardis Rahmatpour
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:BMC Psychology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02769-y
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author Saeed Pahlevan Sharif
Navaz Naghavi
Osveh Esmaeelinezhad
Long She
Kelly-Ann Allen
Hamid Sharif-Nia
Pardis Rahmatpour
author_facet Saeed Pahlevan Sharif
Navaz Naghavi
Osveh Esmaeelinezhad
Long She
Kelly-Ann Allen
Hamid Sharif-Nia
Pardis Rahmatpour
author_sort Saeed Pahlevan Sharif
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Excessive social media use during health crises can lead to information overload and psychological distress, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study investigated how social networking sites (SNS) affected life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran and whether this relationship was explained by SNS fatigue, uncertainty about disease, and stress. The research also examined whether e-health literacy was a protective factor in this process. Results confirmed that SNS use negatively affected life satisfaction through a sequential pathway of increased fatigue, uncertainty, and stress. E-health literacy moderated the initial link between SNS use and fatigue, with higher literacy weakening this relationship. The results demonstrate the complex relationship between SNS use and wellbeing during health crises and highlight the potential protective role of e-health literacy.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2050-7283
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher BMC
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series BMC Psychology
spelling doaj-art-2811c93bb9084f77a26c5f62f55edb6f2025-08-20T03:53:16ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-05-0113111210.1186/s40359-025-02769-ySocial networking sites use and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of e-health literacy, fatigue, uncertainty, and stressSaeed Pahlevan Sharif0Navaz Naghavi1Osveh Esmaeelinezhad2Long She3Kelly-Ann Allen4Hamid Sharif-Nia5Pardis Rahmatpour6Sunway Business School, Sunway UniversityCollege of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders UniversityDepartment of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, Amirkabir University of TechnologySunway Business School, Sunway UniversitySchool of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Monash UniversityPsychosomatic Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical SciencesHealth Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC)Abstract Excessive social media use during health crises can lead to information overload and psychological distress, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study investigated how social networking sites (SNS) affected life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran and whether this relationship was explained by SNS fatigue, uncertainty about disease, and stress. The research also examined whether e-health literacy was a protective factor in this process. Results confirmed that SNS use negatively affected life satisfaction through a sequential pathway of increased fatigue, uncertainty, and stress. E-health literacy moderated the initial link between SNS use and fatigue, with higher literacy weakening this relationship. The results demonstrate the complex relationship between SNS use and wellbeing during health crises and highlight the potential protective role of e-health literacy.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02769-ySocial networking sitesLife satisfactionE-health literacySNS fatigueStress
spellingShingle Saeed Pahlevan Sharif
Navaz Naghavi
Osveh Esmaeelinezhad
Long She
Kelly-Ann Allen
Hamid Sharif-Nia
Pardis Rahmatpour
Social networking sites use and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of e-health literacy, fatigue, uncertainty, and stress
BMC Psychology
Social networking sites
Life satisfaction
E-health literacy
SNS fatigue
Stress
title Social networking sites use and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of e-health literacy, fatigue, uncertainty, and stress
title_full Social networking sites use and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of e-health literacy, fatigue, uncertainty, and stress
title_fullStr Social networking sites use and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of e-health literacy, fatigue, uncertainty, and stress
title_full_unstemmed Social networking sites use and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of e-health literacy, fatigue, uncertainty, and stress
title_short Social networking sites use and life satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of e-health literacy, fatigue, uncertainty, and stress
title_sort social networking sites use and life satisfaction a moderated mediation model of e health literacy fatigue uncertainty and stress
topic Social networking sites
Life satisfaction
E-health literacy
SNS fatigue
Stress
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02769-y
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