How Information Overload Affects the Usage of WeChat Moment among University Students During the COVID-19

This study navigates the effect of information overload on university students’ usage of WeChat Moment during the COVID-19 pandemic. WeChat has become a prominent platform with a large number of monthly active users since people are increasingly relying on social media for socializing and accessing health-related information. However, users have reported experiencing social media fatigue (SMF) due to the overwhelming amount of COVID-19 information on the platform. This study aims to explore the relationship between information overload, social media fatigue, and discontinuous usage intention among young WeChat users. A survey was conducted with 324 Chinese university students. The results revealed that a significant portion of respondents experienced information overload while using WeChat, which was positively correlated with social media fatigue and discontinuous usage intention. Notably, living or isolating in areas at middle or high risk from the pandemic did not contribute to a greater perception of information overload. This study provides valuable insights for improving WeChat Moment and enhancing the well-being of young users in the context of information overload during the pandemic.