Social Media Overload as a Predictor of Depressive Symptoms Under the COVID-19 Infodemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey From Chinese University Students

Objectives: People’s mental health and digital usage have attracted widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate how social media overload influenced depressive symptoms under the COVID-19 infodemic and the role of risk perception and social media fatigue. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on 644 college students during the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, and data analysis was conducted using the PROCESS4.0 tool. Results: The findings showed that in the COVID-19 information epidemic: 1) both information overload and communication overload were significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms; 2) risk perception of COVID-19, and social media fatigue mediated this association separately; 3) and there was a chain mediating relationship between communication overload and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Social media overload was positively associated with depressive symptoms among college students under the COVID-19 infodemic by increasing risk perception and social media fatigue. The findings sparked further thinking on how the public should correctly use social media for risk communication during public health emergencies.