Coping with pandemics using social network sites

A psychological detachment perspective to Covid-19 stressors

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21402915
AutoresMatti Mäntymäki (0000-0002-1981-566X, University of Turku, autor de correspondencia), A K M Najmul Islam (0000-0003-2236-3278, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology), Ofir Turel (0000-0002-6374-6382, California State University, Fullerton), Amandeep Dhir (0000-0002-6006-6058, University of Agder)
Año2022
Volumen179
Páginas121660
Fecha de publicación2022-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaTechnological Forecasting and Social Change (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0040-1625 • E-ISSN: 1873-5509
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121660
PMID35400767
OpenAlexW4223629961
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas12
Referencias citadas105

Prior research has often portrayed information technology (IT) as a stressor. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate that IT can also be an effective means of coping with life stressors, including those induced by pandemics such as COVID-19. We thus deviate from the common IT-as-a-stressor perspective and adopt an IT-as-a-coping-mechanism viewpoint. To this end, we apply the stressor-detachment model from organisational psychology to the use of social network sites (SNSs) in coping with stressors wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine psychological well-being as our dependant variable and introduce psychological detachment through SNS use as a mediator and moderator of the associations between psychological well-being and two COVID-19 stressors: work-family conflict and perceived isolation. We used structural equation modelling and tested this model with survey data collected from 398 professionals who were in lockdown and working from home during the pandemic. The results indicated that psychological detachment through SNS uses increased psychological well-being and that heightened work-family conflict motivated this detachment strategy. In contrast, consistent with helplessness and motivation-opportunity theories, perceived isolation as a stressor did not influence psychological detachment through SNS use. While perceived isolation directly reduced individual well-being, the effect of work-family conflict on well-being was contingent upon users' levels of psychological detachment through SNS use. These findings suggest that while psychological detachment through SNS use is an effective means of improving one's well-being, it can be positively or negatively affected by stressors. Our study contributes to research on technology-mediated strategies for coping with stress and the psychosocial implications of global pandemics

Coping (psychology) · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Disease · Distancing · Learned helplessness · Moderation · Pandemic · Perspective (graphical) · Psychological well-being · Stressor · Structural equation modeling · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Clinical Psychology · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges