Zoom fatigue, psychological distress, life satisfaction, and academic well-being
Künye
Deniz, M. E., Satıcı, S. A., Doenyas, C., & Griffiths, M. D. (2022). Zoom Fatigue, Psychological Distress, Life Satisfaction, and Academic Well-Being. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 25(5), 270-277.Özet
Little is known about the psychological consequences of the recently increased utilization of videoconferencing,
which has enabled life to proceed as close to normal as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand
the psychological consequences of this recent global lifestyle change in different populations, the psychometric
validation of the Zoom Exhaustion and Fatigue Scale (ZEFS) and the relationship of this construct with
academic well-being, mental well-being, and life satisfaction are presented. In a sample of 470 Turkish
university students (57 percent female, Mage = 20.26 – 2.18, ranging between 18 and 33 years), first-order and
second-order confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the construct validity of the scale, and the item response
theory results yielded appropriate item difficulty and discrimination. ZEFS scores were significantly and
positively associated with anxiety, depression, and stress, and negatively associated with life satisfaction and
academic well-being, supporting the scale’s concurrent validity. Incremental validity was shown with mediational models demonstrating significant and separate indirect effects of Zoom exhaustion and fatigue on life
satisfaction and academic well-being, both mediated by psychological distress. The results suggest ZEFS to be a
valid and reliable tool to evaluate the psychological consequences of videoconferencing, which has globally
increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, in non-Western samples. By showing the relationships of Zoom
exhaustion and fatigue with psychological distress, life satisfaction, and academic well-being, the present study
highlights potential avenues to be addressed to protect the mental well-being of all individuals who have
integrated videoconferencing as part of their daily lives.