A systematic investigation of the relationship between social media overuse, cognitive overload, and digital burnout among university students in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of social media overuse, fear of missing out, and notification overload on digital burnout among university students in the United Arab Emirates, with a particular focus on the mediating role of cognitive overload. It examines how excessive social media engagement, psychological pressure to remain constantly connected, and frequent digital interruptions contribute to increased cognitive demands and subsequent digital burnout. Data were collected from 392 university students using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS. The findings reveal that social media overuse, fear of missing out, and notification overload all have significant positive effects on cognitive overload and digital Burnout. In addition, cognitive overload shows a strong positive effect on digital burnout. Moreover, Cognitive Overload was found to significantly mediate the relationships between social media overuse, fear of missing out, and Notification Overload with digital burnout, confirming its critical role in translating digital stressors into burnout outcomes. All hypotheses were statistically supported. This study contributes to the digital wellbeing and cognitive overload literature by clarifying how modern digital behaviors lead to psychological exhaustion through cognitive strain mechanisms. It also provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers seeking to reduce digital burnout by promoting healthier social media usage patterns and effectively managing cognitive demands within digital learning environments.