The role of information overload and social overload on the intention to change social media through the mediation of social fatigue in physical fitness athletes in the country

Subject Areas :

Ghasem Ghonghe Moghadam ¹ , kazem Cheragh Birjandi ²

1 - Master of Sports Management, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Birjand Branch, Birjand Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran

Received: 2024-10-20 Accepted : 2025-02-16 Published : 2025-09-28

Keywords: Information Overload, Social Overload, Intention to Switch Social Media, Social Fatigue, Physical Fitness,

Abstract :

Extended Abstract

Introduction

Social media has become very popular worldwide. Platforms such as Facebook, WeChat, Twitter, and Instagram are commonly used by many people.  Such platforms allow users to easily communicate with friends through features like sharing, commenting, and liking, which helps strengthen social connections.  Meanwhile, there is an intense competition among social media providers as they attempt to grow their user base to gain competitive advantages.  Users can leave their current platforms and switch to other alternatives, posing a challenge for the  managers of social media aiming to keep their users.  Currently, some platforms are facing increasing user churn.  Athletes, in particular, face unique challenges because of their high involvement with social media and its effect on both their personal and social lives  The interaction between athletes and their fans over these platforms have made social media an effective tool for communication. However, the massive interactions and flow of information and can overwhelm athletes, and even leading  them to change the platforms used.  Fitness athletes, similar to other groups of athletes, face with this overload and the resultant fatigue. This leads them to switch platforms every so often. 

Methodology

This applied correlational study was conducted in a field. Participants were drawn from the National Physical Fitness League (year 2023).  A random sample of four hundred athletes was selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique from an unlimited population. several questionnaires were used:  the Social Overload Questionnaire (Mayer et al., 2015) with 4 items, the Social Media Change Intention Questionnaire (Zangian et al., 2009) with 5 items, and the Social Fatigue Questionnaire (Zhang et al., 2016) with 6 items.  In order to to validate the questionnaires feedback from sports management professionals was incorporated. Reliability was calculated in a pilot study of 30 randomly selected participants. The results were Cronbach's alpha values of 0.75 for information overload, 0.74 for social overload, 0.71 for intention to change social media, and 0.79 for social fatigue.Data analysis employed descriptive statistics (mean, SD) and inferential tests including Kolmogorov-Smirnov & structural equation modeling through SPSS 22 & Smart Plus 3, with significance set at p ≤ .05. 

Results

The findings revealed that social overload influences the intention to switch social media platforms significantly. The Sobel test indicated social fatigue significantly mediates the relationship between information overload and change intention (statistic = 4.74), as well as between social overload and change intention (statistic = 11.63), both were beyond the critical value of 1.96. Therefore, social fatigue plays a meaningful mediating role in these relationships. 

Discussion and Conclusion

The structural model of the study, which inspects the impact of information and social overload on athletes' intention to switch social media mediated by social fatigue, indicated a good fit.  The rapid creation and distribution of information on social media outpace the users’ ability to process it effectually.  When the volume of incoming information exceeds users'  cognitive threshold, they get exhausted and become mentally fatigued.  Exposure to very complex or unrelated content causes additional fatigue because of poor organization and presentation. Besides, excessive social interactions, including necessities to respond to friends across several platforms and conversations, affect users' mental resources, resulting in feelings of fatigue. Based on cognitive theory, the present study can offer valuable insights that expand our understanding of the factors leading to social fatigue caused by information overload. 

Keywords: Information Overload, Social Overload, Intention to Switch Social Media, Social Fatigue, Physical Fitness