A Field Study on the Causes and Psycho-Social Consequences of Social Network Fatigue: The Case of Turkey

Abstract

Social network usage has started to decrease since 2011 for various reasons. Research in the literature has revealed the concept of social network fatigue, which has physical and psychological consequences due to different reasons. Recent studies have emphasized that social network fatigue is dangerous for users' individual well-being, and researchers have suggested further studies due to the newness of the concept. Based on the recommendations in the literature, this research was carried out with 1100 participants from all over Turkey in a quantitative design to determine the causes and psycho-social consequences of social network fatigue. Participants in the research information on social network fatigue, social network overload, social network victimization and socio-demographic characteristics was collected. In the research constructed with the stressor-strain-consequence (SSO) model it has been understood that social network overload and social network victimization are predictors of social network fatigue. In the study, the social network fatigue experienced by the participants it has been determined that it causes physical and psychological consequences such as sudden anger, physical fatigue, exhaustion, wear-out, anger, regret, dissatisfaction, boredom, overwhelm, restlessness and stress.

Keywords

• Social network fatigue
• stressor-strain-consequence (SSO)
• psycho-social effects
• technostress
• exhaustion.

Sosyal Ağ Yorgunluğunun Nedenleri ve Psiko-Sosyal Sonuçları Üzerine Bir Saha Araştırması: Türkiye Örneği

Abstract

Yeni iletişim teknolojilerinin hızla benimsenip kullanılmaya başlanması günlük yaşamdaki sıradan işlerin gerçekleştirilmesinde dahi kullanıcıları bu alanlara yöneltmiş ve bunların kullanımı merkeze oturtulmuştur. Bu avantajlarının yanında sosyal ağ kullanıcılarına her alanda kolaylık ve bilgi sağlayan platformlar başta psiko-sosyal olmak üzere bazı sorunların gündeme gelmesine neden olmuştur. Pazar araştırmacıları sosyal ağ kullanımının 2011 yılından itibaren çeşitli nedenlerden dolayı düşmeye başladığını belirlemiş, literatür de yapılan araştırmalarda da bu durum çeşitli nedenlere bağlı olarak fiziksel ve psikolojik sonuçları olan sosyal ağ yorgunluğu ismi ile yer edinmiştir. Bu yeni fenomenin platform kullanıcılarında; ne şekilde, nasıl etki ettiğinin ve sonuçlarının belirlenmesi bu açıdan önem kazanmıştır. Son araştırmalarda sosyal ağ yorgunluğunun, kullanıcıların bireysel iyi oluş halleri açısından tehlikeli bir durum olduğu vurgulanmış fakat araştırmacılar kavramın yeni oluşundan dolayı daha fazla araştırmanın yapılmasını önermiştir. Literatürde yer alan önerilerden hareketle bu araştırma sosyal ağ yorgunluğunun nedenlerini ve psiko-sosyal sonuçlarının neler olduğunu belirlemek üzere nicel desende tüm Türkiye’ye konumlanmış bir şekilde 30 ilde 1100 katılımcı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmada tüm Türkiye’yi temsil etmek amacı ile küme örneklem tekniği kullanılmış ve katılımcıların; sosyal ağ yorgunluğu, aşırı sosyal ağ yüklenmesi ve sosyo-demografik özelliklerine ait bilgiler toplanmıştır. Stresör-zorlanma-sonuç (SSO) modeli ile inşa edilen araştırmada, aşırı sosyal ağ yüklenmesi ve sosyal ağ mağduriyetinin, sosyal ağ yorgunluğunun yordayıcısı olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Araştırma sonunda katılımcıların yaşadığı sosyal ağ yorgunluğunun; ani sinirlenme, bedensel yorgunluk, bitkinlik, yıpranma, öfkelenme, pişmanlık, memnuniyetsizlik, can sıkıntısı, bunalma, huzursuzluk, stres gibi fiziksel ve psikolojik suşlar ile sonlandığı saptanmıştır. Araştırmacılarda teknostres ve tükenme suşlarına bağlı olarak kullanıcıların, platformları süreksiz kullanım niyetinin olabileceği düşüncesi belirginleşmiştir.

Keywords

• Social network fatigue
• stressor-strain-consequence (SSO)
• psycho-social effects
• technostress
• exhaustion.

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