Revealing how information attributes of social media affect individuals' mental health during health crises: a person-environment fit perspective

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate how two critical informational attributes of social media – uncertainty and equivocality – affect individuals' mental health, particularly pandemic fatigue, through the lens of person-environment fit (P-E fit) theory. Design/methodology/approach An online survey (N = 336) served as the basis for data collection, and structural equation modeling was employed for analysis. A mediation model was constructed to examine the roles of information overload and information support, while future anxiety was assessed as a moderating variable. Findings Results indicate that both uncertainty and equivocality significantly predict information overload, and uncertainty specifically is associated with a reduction in information support. Moreover, information overload aggravates pandemic fatigue, whereas information support alleviates it. Future anxiety further amplifies these relationships by intensifying the harmful effects of overload and diminishing the mitigating influence of information support. Practical implications Our findings enhance understanding of how social media use affects individual mental health and provide practical insights to guide practitioners in designing and adjusting content strategies to reduce negative impacts and promote healthier digital environments. Originality/value This study extends the application of P-E fit theory by elucidating the dual mechanisms – demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fit – that underlie the complex mental health impacts of social media. It clarifies the interaction between informational attributes and individual factors, such as future anxiety, in shaping pandemic fatigue, thereby addressing significant gaps in our understanding of information-driven psychological outcomes during health crises.