Unpacking the Social Media Happiness Paradox: How Social Media Stressors Undermine Subjective Well-Being Through Social Media Fatigue

Abstract

With the increasing embeddedness of social media in everyday life, digital platforms have become important spaces for interpersonal connection, self-presentation, and emotional experience. However, continuous social media engagement does not necessarily enhance users’ happiness; instead, it may coincide with psychological strain and lower subjective well-being (SWB), forming what this study refers to as the social media happiness paradox. In this study, the paradox is positioned as the focal phenomenon to be explained rather than as a standalone empirical construct. Drawing on social comparison theory and the stress-strain-outcome framework, this study examines the associations of social overload (SO), fear of missing out (FOMO), and upward social comparison tendency (USCT) with social media fatigue (SMF) and SWB, including statistical indirect associations through SMF. Based on 748 valid questionnaire responses, this study constructs an integrated conceptual model to examine the relationships among social media-related stressors, fatigue, and well-being. The findings show that SO, FOMO, and USCT are significantly and positively associated with SMF, while all three variables are significantly and negatively associated with SWB. In addition, significant statistical indirect associations between each stressor and SWB were observed through SMF. Taken together, the observed pattern is consistent with an integrated stressor–strain account of the social media happiness paradox and suggests directions for future digital well-being research and intervention design.