scholarly journals Problematic Social Media Usage and Anxiety Among University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and the Moderating Role of Academic Burnout

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Jiang

The outbreak of COVID-19 has greatly affected university students’ studies and life. This study aimed to examine the possible mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating role of academic burnout in the relationship between problematic social media usage and anxiety among university students during COVID-19. A total of 3,123 undergraduates from universities in Shanghai participated in an online survey from March to April 2020. The results showed that problematic social media usage among university students predicted their levels of anxiety. Mediation analysis indicated that psychological capital mediated the relationship between problematic social media usage and anxiety. Furthermore, for university students whose academic performance had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of both problematic social media usage and the psychological capital on anxiety were moderated by academic burnout. For university students whose academic performance was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, academic burnout moderated the effects of psychological capital but not the effects of problematic social media usage on anxiety. The results highlighted the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between problematic social media usage and anxiety. These findings provide practical insights into the development and implementation of psychological interventions when facing a pandemic.

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shangui Hu ◽  
Jibao Gu ◽  
Hefu Liu ◽  
Qian Huang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating role of social media usage in the relationship among multicultural experiences, cultural intelligence, and creativity. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a questionnaire survey in three public universities in China and obtained 310 useful responses from international students. Findings The authors categorized social media usage into informational and socializing usage. Findings show that socializing social media usage strengthens the relationship between multicultural experiences and cultural intelligence, whereas informational social media usage does not strengthen such relationship. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that practitioners, such as managers or university administrators, should focus on well-designed multicultural activities in the development of individual creativity. They should also acknowledge the enabling role of cultural intelligence in developing individual creativity and realize that social media usage should be differentiated from the outcomes of its usage. Originality/value This study contributes to the knowledge on the moderating role of social media usage in the relationship between multicultural experiences and creativity based on experiential learning theory. The study presents the relationship among multicultural experiences, cultural intelligence, and creativity. Moreover, by investigating the moderating roles of informational and socializing social media usage, the authors presented that an IT contingent view of multicultural experiences is helpful in understanding the relationship between multicultural experiences and cultural intelligence.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terje Slåtten ◽  
Gudbrand Lien ◽  
Solveig Beyza Narli Evenstad ◽  
Terje Onshus

Purpose The overall aim of this study is to explore factors associated with academic performance among university students. Specifically, it explores whether a supportive study climate is directly related to academic performance and whether students’ psychological capital (PsyCap), positive emotions and study engagement play a role in the relationship between supportive study climate and academic performance. Design/methodology/approach A total of 588 bachelor students from a range of academic programs participated in a survey. The partial least squares (PLS)-based structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the conceptual models and the hypothesized relationships, using the software SmartPLS. Findings No support was found for a direct relationship between supportive study climate and academic performance. However, the results show that PsyCap, positive emotions and study engagement have a mediating role between supportive study climate and academic performance. In addition, the findings reveal a multifaceted pattern among PsyCap, positive emotions and study engagement that promotes academic performance. Originality/value This is the first study that simultaneously explores the role of PsyCap, emotions and study engagement between supportive study climate and academic performance among university students. Consequently, it broadens and deepens previous research and offers both theoretical and practical implications.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Perengki Susanto ◽  
Mohammad Enamul Hoque ◽  
Najeeb Ullah Shah ◽  
Andel Hopi Candra ◽  
Nik Mohd Hazrul Nik Hashim ◽  
...  

Purpose Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are an important contributor to emerging countries’ economic growth. However, SMEs have been struggling to sustain their performance in a highly competitive environment. Thus, this study aims to re-examine the effect of SMEs’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on firms’ performance during the COVID-19. This study has also studied the moderating role of social media usage and the mediating role of marketing capabilities and social media usage. Design/methodology/approach This study used a structured questionnaire for data collection, where the unit of analysis was the manager or owner of SMEs. The data were analyzed using partial least square-structural equation modeling. Findings The findings show that an EO has a significant and positive effect on an SME’s performance, but the outcomes are conditional on the role of social media and marketing capabilities. The empirical results reveal that marketing capabilities significantly mediate the relationship between EO and SME performance. In addition, social media usage moderates the relationship between EO and SME performance and it also partially mediates the EO-performance nexus of SMEs. Finally, this study discovers that the EO-Performance nexus of SMEs is serially mediated by social media usage and marketing capabilities. Research limitations/implications This study has important implications for SMEs that are seeking to gain a competitive advantage. For example, an SME should deploy market activities through social media channels. In situations such as a pandemic and uncertainty, this could be the most effective tool. Originality/value This study builds a theory-based mediation-moderation model to explain the link between EO and SME performance. In explaining mediation-moderation effects, the current study provides insight into EO-performance relationships. Moreover, the current model facilitates exploring whether serial mediation passes through social media usage and market capabilities. Therefore, with new findings, the study extends the literature on serial mediation in the EO-performance of SMEs. Additionally, this study extends the literature on the moderating role of social media on SMEs in Indonesia, which has not been investigated. Besides, the current study adds new insight into the EO-performance of SME in COVID-19 condition.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinghua Wang ◽  
Huazhang Wu

Empirical research has shown that maladaptive perfectionism may lead to lower life satisfaction. However, the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and life satisfaction among medical students and the mechanism underlying this relationship still need to be further explored. The present study used a large sample of undergraduate medical students to examine the associations between maladaptive perfectionism and life satisfaction and to explore the mechanism underlying the associations. Specifically, the present study tried to probe the mediating role of academic burnout and the moderating role of self-esteem in the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and life satisfaction in medical students. We invited 1628 undergraduate medical students from two medical universities in Northeastern China to participate in the survey. Among the students recruited, 1377 medical students (response rate: 84.6%) completed questionnaires including the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) maladaptive perfectionism subscales, the Chinese College Student Academic Burnout Inventory (CCSABI), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and demographic information. Results show that maladaptive perfectionism was significantly negatively related to life satisfaction among medical students and academic burnout played a significant mediating role (β = −0.10, BCa 95%CI: −0.12, −0.07) in this relationship. Moderated mediation analyses reveal that the mediating effect of maladaptive perfectionism on life satisfaction via academic burnout was moderated by self-esteem. Maladaptive perfectionism exerted a stronger effect on life satisfaction via the mediating role of academic burnout for medical students with high self-esteem [β = −0.026, SE = 0.009, 95%CI = (−0.047, −0.011)] than for medical students with low self-esteem [β = −0.019, SE = 0.009, 95%CI = (−0.038, −0.001)]. Medical institutions can implement effective interventions to decrease medical students’ maladaptive perfectionism levels and academic burnout levels, and increase their self-esteem levels in order to enhance their life satisfaction.


Author(s):  
Sonia Khodabakhsh ◽  
Somaye Ahmadi

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on individuals’ mental health. Individuals have tended to obtain information about the pandemic from social media. With the aim of exploring the relationship between subjective happiness and social media usage during the COVID-19 pandemic and the possible moderating role of resilience in this relationship, we asked 277 young adults in Iran to complete a number of online questionnaires, including a demographic questionnaire, a survey on social media usage, a subjective happiness scale and a brief resilience scale. The results showed that there is a significant negative correlation between social media usage and subjective happiness. In terms of the different degrees to which resilience can act as a moderator, our findings showed that when resilience is average or high, the relationship between social media usage and subjective happiness is significant. This study has implications for mental health professionals seeking knowledge about happiness during periods of adversity.


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