Dual Process, Buffering/Coping Effects, and Reciprocal Dynamics: A Social Demands-Resources Model of SNS Discontinuance

Prior studies on social networking sites (SNSs) discontinuance focus on the demand side (e.g., social overload) while neglect the resource side. To address this problem, drawing upon the job demands–resources (JD–R) model, we develop the social demands–resources (SD–R) model of SNS discontinuance. Specifically, social overload and social support, as social demands and social resources, are proposed to affect discontinuance through the energetic process and the motivational process respectively. The buffering effect and the coping effect are proposed to explain the cross-links between the dual processes. We also propose the mechanism of reciprocal dynamics to capture the relationship between social support and social overload. Through a study of 479 WeChat users, the results confirm the proposed SD–R model of SNS discontinuance. The implications for research and practice are also discussed