No more COVID-19 messages via social media, please: the mediating role of COVID-19 message fatigue between information overload, message avoidance, and behavioral intention

Employing the stressor-strain-outcome framework, this study demonstrates that COVID-19 information overload on social media exerts a significant effect on the level of fatigue toward COVID-19-related messages. This feeling of message fatigue also makes people avoid another exposure to similar types of messages while diminishing their intentions to adopt protective behaviors in response to the pandemic. Information overload regarding COVID-19 on social media also has indirect effects on message avoidance and protective behavioral intention against COVID-19, respectively, through the feeling of fatigue toward COVID-19 messages on social media. This study emphasizes the need to consider message fatigue as a significant barrier in delivering effective risk communication.

Automated summary

This study uses the stressor-strain-outcome framework to show that COVID-19 information overload on social media has a significant impact on people's fatigue level towards COVID-19-related messages. This feeling of message fatigue leads to message avoidance and reduces intentions to adopt protective behaviors in response to the pandemic. Information overload regarding COVID-19 on social media also indirectly affects message avoidance and protective behavioral intention against COVID-19 through the feeling of fatigue towards COVID-19 messages. This study highlights the importance of considering message fatigue as a significant barrier in delivering effective risk communication.