Digital Availability Pressure, Digital Availability Fatigue, and Social Withdrawal among University Students in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Abstract
Digital mediated communication has become a key element of students' academic coordination, interaction with peers, contact with family and social participation. But with these advantages, norms on the platform can also foster a sense of pressure to be available in messaging, social media and learning platforms. This pressure could be important for emotional and cognitive fatigue and social engagement patterns, apart from general time spent online. This study investigated the relationships between digital availability pressure, digital availability fatigue and self-reported social withdrawal among university students (18-29 years) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The design of the study was quantitative cross-sectional. A structured online questionnaire was used to collect data from 367 university students. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, hierarchical multiple regression, and a statistical indirect-effect analysis using Hayes' PROCESS Macro Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap samples were performed. After controlling for demographic characteristics and hours spent online, digital availability pressure was positively correlated with self-reported social withdrawal. Digital availability pressure was also positively correlated with digital availability fatigue, which was positively correlated with social withdrawal. The indirect association via digital availability fatigue was statistically significantly different from zero. The study was cross-sectional, so no temporal ordering or causality can be inferred. The results indicate that the perceived expectations of constant digital responsiveness may be related to social withdrawal among UAE university students, in addition to time spent online.
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