When connectivity depletes: the negative effects of enterprise social media use on employee well-being and work engagement

IntroductionThe rapid proliferation of digital technologies such as enterprise social media (ESM) has improved workplace collaboration by enabling seamless connectivity and real-time interaction across organizations. At the same time, it has introduced digital interruptions that demand constant responsiveness and digital presence from employees, which may be linked to adverse psychological and behavioral outcomes. Thus, a systematic examination of the negative effects of ESM on employee outcomes is needed.MethodsGrounded in the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study used partial least squares structural equation modeling with a sample of 200 office workers in Korea to investigate how increased ESM usage is associated with multiple forms of overload and boundary management stress, and which specific forms were most directly related to employee outcomes such as well-being and work engagement. We also examined two variables, customized use of ESM features and perceived organization/team support, to test whether they moderate different forms of overload.ResultsESM usage was positively associated with higher levels of overload and boundary management stress. Interruption overload was significantly associated with lower work engagement, and boundary management stress was significantly associated with lower well-being. Customized use of ESM features and perceived organization/team support negatively moderated the relationship between ESM usage and boundary management stress.ConclusionThis study advances the technostress literature and offers practical implications for leveraging ESM to support sustainable digital work environments and mitigate adverse outcomes.