Exploring the Impact of Work From Home on the Effects of Social Media: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

The shift to work-from-home (WFH) arrangements has reshaped how individuals engage with social media, yet little is known about how WFH status influences social media’s effects on employees’ psychological well-being. Drawing on the expanded internet-enhanced self-disclosure theory, this study explored this issue based on a city-based sample (N = 1,431) and by focusing on the lockdown imposed during the outbreak of COVID-19. The data analysis using structural equation modeling demonstrated a moderated mediation model for the psychological effects of social media. The findings revealed that social media use could motivate people to offer more self-disclosure behaviors, which can foster psychological well-being indirectly through increased interpersonal connections (i.e., social support and connectedness). Importantly, these positive psychological effects were found to be stronger among remote workers (i.e., people with a higher WFH status) than their on-site counterparts. These findings thus clarify the accentuating role of WFH status in amplifying the benefits of social media and offer theoretical and practical insights into how digital communication compensates for reduced face-to-face interactions during social isolation.