Why Do Users Take Breaks? Exploring the Pathways from Stressors to Temporary Discontinuance in Social Media Use

Purpose - Despite the growing prevalence of temporary discontinuance, existing research on social media discontinuance has primarily focused on permanent discontinuance, treating it as a static decision. This perspective overlooks the dynamic nature of temporary discontinuance, which captures the cyclical patterns of social media behavior observed among modern users. This study addresses these gaps by exploring the antecedents of temporary discontinuance, focusing on the interplay between stressors—cognitive overload, emotional exhaustion, and privacy invasion—and perceived fatigue. Design/Methodology/Approach - Data were collected through a survey targeting social media users who exhibit temporary discontinuance patterns. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the relationships between the antecedent variables (cognitive overload, privacy concerns, and emotional exhaustion) and temporary discontinuance. Findings - The findings indicated that cognitive overload, emotional exhaustion, and privacy invasion significantly contributed to users’ perceptions of fatigue. Faced with negative experiences, users adopted various coping strategies to manage the challenges of social media, leading to temporary discontinuance patterns. Research Implications - The study underscores the importance of designing user-friendly platforms that mitigate overload and address emotional exhaustion. Social media firms should prioritize privacy features and offer tailored solutions to reduce dissatisfaction. These measures can help reduce the frequency of discontinuance and enhance user retention.