Social Media Never Sleeps: Antecedents and Consequences of Social Media Fatigue Among Content Creators

Abstract

Social media use among private, nonprofit, and public sector organizations is on the rise with budgets for communicating in this space growing annually. Social media content creators use their professional skills in public relations, advertising, and marketing to grow consumer demand and maintain relationships. Although social media content creators serve as important connectors for organizations and stakeholders, the evidence is mounting that content creators are experiencing social media fatigue. While general social media users can withdraw from social media when feeling overwhelmed, what happens to those who work daily in the social media environment and rely on these platforms for their livelihood? To examine this important issue, we conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with social media content creators in the private and public sectors. Our findings outline the antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue among content creators. We also discuss practical implications and offer suggestions to improve the work experience of these strategic communicators.