Title |
Relationship Between Problematic Social Media Usage and Employee Depression: A Moderated Mediation Model of Mindfulness and Fear of COVID-19
|
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Published in |
Frontiers in Psychology, December 2020
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DOI | 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.557987 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Mehwish Majeed, Muhammad Irshad, Tasneem Fatima, Jabran Khan, Muhammad Mubbashar Hassan |
Abstract |
Social media plays a significant role in modern life, but excessive use of it during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a source of concern. Supported by the conservation of resources theory, the current study extends the literature on problematic social media usage during COVID-19 by investigating its association with emotional and mental health outcomes. In a moderated mediation model, this study proposes that problematic social media use by workers during COVID-19 is linked to fear of COVID-19, which is further associated with depression. The current study tested trait mindfulness as an important personal resource that may be associated with reduced fear of COVID-19 despite problematic social media use. The study collected temporally separate data to avoid common method bias. Pakistani employees (N = 267) working in different organizations completed a series of survey questionnaires. The results supported the moderated mediation model, showing that problematic social media use during the current pandemic is linked to fear of COVID-19 and depression among employees. Furthermore, trait mindfulness was found to be an important buffer, reducing the negative indirect association between problematic social media use and depression through fear of COVID-19. These results offer implications for practitioners. The limitations of this study and future research directions are also discussed. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 143 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 20 | 14% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 16 | 11% |
Student > Bachelor | 14 | 10% |
Student > Postgraduate | 10 | 7% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 8 | 6% |
Other | 23 | 16% |
Unknown | 52 | 36% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 19 | 13% |
Business, Management and Accounting | 18 | 13% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 11 | 8% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 10 | 7% |
Social Sciences | 9 | 6% |
Other | 20 | 14% |
Unknown | 56 | 39% |