In pursuing global sustainability, the United Nations 1 prioritized the well-being of employees. Understanding efficient recovery from work-related demands is central to achieving this goal. Among the various strategies for supporting employee recovery, microbreaks emerged as a verified and accessible strategy 2. Concurrently, social media (SM) has permeated modern society, including the workforce 3. Thus, exploring the relationship between SM use and the well-being of employees during microbreaks has become a pressing area of investigation.
This paper introduces a novel study that thoroughly investigates the effect of SM-related microbreaks on resource recovery. Utilizing an experimental design, it compares the restoration of psychological resources among 308 participants during SM microbreaks with comparison to no breaks, blank breaks, and nature-related breaks. The objective of the study was to elucidate better the potential impact of recent forms of SM use, such as short videos continuously presented to users through algorithm-based recommendations. The study also analyzes the experience perceived by individuals during microbreaks see 4.
This research contributes to the existing understanding of work-related recovery by exploring how SM-related microbreaks can have restorative effects. The findings reveal that brief use of SM can effectively replenish depleted psychological resources. While the recovery may be more subtle compared to other well-established microbreaks, it nonetheless contributes positively to resource replenishment. Additionally, the presented results deepen our understanding of SM's impact on recovery by demonstrating that the psychological detachment achieved through SM microbreaks is significant. Overall, the study offers insights into SM's positive influence on employee well-being and the conditions under which it occurs.
Recovery at Work
The recovery process, which typically occurs within the work-and-rest cycle, is a vital aspect of occupational health 5. It involves restoring strain level, which increases in response to work demands and then lowers to its prestressor level 6. Working under high demands can deplete the energetic and cognitive resources of employees, which necessitates additional effort to replenish them for a successful return to work. In recovery research, these resources are generally defined as intrinsic, energy- or mood-related attributes, such as vigor or fatigue 2. During nonwork time, the absence of demands provides an opportunity for recovery, leading to decreased strain symptoms 4. However, when demands persist during nonwork periods, overload reactions can accumulate over time, resulting in a less-than-optimal state of employees.
One of the contemporary methods of recovery and replenishment of psychological resources being studied are microbreaks 2. Microbreaks, that is, brief intentional pauses lasting no more than 10 min, mitigate the adverse effects of extended work and can be analyzed using the two abovementioned perspectives 7. In contrast to traditional breaks, microbreaks are distinct due to their brief duration and spontaneity, which provide mental and physical relief without disrupting work continuity 8,9. Initially rooted in ergonomics to address physical issues, microbreaks evolved in the organizational literature as a succinct strategy for replenishing psychological resources 2,10.
Sonnentag et al. 4 highlight microbreaks as crucial tools for recharging the energy of employees. These brief respites enable mental disengagement and focus redirection, which improves cognitive functioning, creativity, and performance, especially in high-demand professions 8,9. However, the effectiveness of microbreaks is dependent on type and timing. For example, break activities can be broadly categorized into active and passive, which differ in their potential to replenish employee resources. Although activities like outdoor time or social interactions are restorative, not all microbreaks yield equal benefits 11. As digital trends, such as SM, increasingly permeate break activities, investigating their effects on recovery during microbreaks is becoming crucial.
SM at Work
SM refers to platforms and technologies that enable users to create, share, and interact with content within online communities. These platforms share several defining characteristics, including user-generated content (UGC), interactivity, and the facilitation of real-time communication 12. SM encompasses various social networking sites (SNSs) tailored to specific content-sharing modes such as text, images, or videos. Notably, UGC (e.g., short videos) is gaining prominence and is currently favored by users as the preferred content format 13,14. Recently, three types of SM usage were delineated, namely, social use (utilizing SM to establish and maintain social connections), hedonic use (utilizing SM for relaxation, entertainment, and escapism), and cognitive use creating content and sharing or expanding knowledge; ,15,16.
The SM phenomenon catalyzed an array of changes in the manner organizations positively and negatively operate, communicate, and engage with employees, not only by fostering instant global connectivity, communication, and knowledge-sharing but also by increasing technostress and work–home interference 17–20. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the influence of SM on employees and their well-being, employing robust methodologies and considering the distinct nature and intent of SM use (i.e., social, hedonic, or cognitive) is crucial for future research, which enables a nuanced comprehension of its effects.
Impact of SM Use During Microbreaks on the Psychological Resources of Employees
Although SM use has become ubiquitous in contemporary workplaces, the specific impact of its hedonic use on employee resources remains unexplored. We propose that brief SM use during microbreaks leads to the recovery of the psychological resources of employees, including (a) fatigue and (b) vigor. The existing literature presents mixed results on the influence of SM on well-being, with outcomes varying dependent on specific SNSs 21,22. Furthermore, prior studies illustrated that SM can exert both positive and negative effects on employees, which influences factors such as satisfaction, engagement, leave intention, job burnout, and work demand 17,20,23–28. In summary, a notable research gap exists because studies that examined and systematically compared different types of SM use are limited.
The current understanding of the mechanism underpinning the hedonic utilization of SM in the work environment encourages contemplation of its potential value in aiding employee recovery. This proposition stems from evidence that SM use can effectively disengage individuals from ongoing tasks and facilitate a restorative break from demands. Researchers posited that SM could benefit workers, given that they are not excessively overused 24,29,30. Conversely, SM can deplete employee resources when characterized by constant checks and overuse 16,31,32. Furthermore, the hedonic use of SM is anticipated to evoke a potent emotional response akin to the experience of viewing online videos 33. This notion positions SM as a potentially apt candidate for microbreak activities due to its unique characteristics, making it conducive to promoting brief respite periods within the workday.
The potential impact of SM on employee resources constitutes a hypothesis based on the Effort–Recovery Model ERM; 34. This framework postulates that when employees confront elevated job demands, corresponding cognitive load reactions occur, manifesting as psychological strain symptoms such as fatigue. Resource mobilization during mental activities supports performance but results in effort and energy depletion consecutively. The reduction of strain symptoms transpires when employees are no longer subject to additional demands and can, thus, engage in recovery processes. Notably, the absence of demands during nonwork intervals is seemingly pivotal in this recovery dynamic 35. In this context, microbreaks assume heightened significance as a means of momentary energy replenishment 4. Hence, the energetic resources of employees are no longer depleted when they partake in brief moments of hedonic SM use because it does not entail cognitive engagement. Provided that the use of the SM is brief, it will not cause any additional negative effects or discomfort. Therefore, the study poses the following:
H1. Brief SM use during microbreaks leads to the recovery of the psychological resources of employees, including (a) fatigue and (b) vigor.
Relative Efficacy of SM-Related Microbreaks
Expanding upon our first hypothesis, we aim to compare the impact of SM-related microbreaks versus established microbreak type, i.e., nature-related activities, using a controlled trial approach 36. We hypothesize that employee recovery of psychological resources after microbreaks, including (a) fatigue and (b) vigor induced by SM activities, is lower than that induced by nature-related activities. The purpose of this part is not to evaluate the effects of nature-related micro-breaks but rather to gain a better understanding of the relative effectiveness of hedonic use of SM as a form of brief resource restoration.
Prior studies documented the restorative effects of green microbreaks on the employees' attentional resources, increased positive emotions and reduced negative ones 2. The theoretical foundations also support the benefits of engaging with nature, e.g., the Attention Restoration Theory (ART) posits that nature viewing enhances focus and cognitive performance by improving voluntary attention and reducing distractions 37. There are no documented negative repercussions associated with excessive engagement with natural environments. Conversely, excessive utilization of SM platforms has been correlated with the emergence of a distinct fatigue state, a sensation of being overwhelmed, the manifestation of counterproductive behaviors, and a reduction in task-focused attentional capacity 38–40. In instances of persistent SM engagement, the uninterrupted influx of multimedia stimuli can compete for and potentially deplete the cognitive attentional resources of an employee 31,41 or hinder their full engagement 42,43. Interacting with such overstimulating content can partially reduce the opportunities to replenish the mental energy necessary for subsequent tasks during working hours 44.
In conclusion, the employment of SM during breaks, despite its hypothetical beneficial impact, is concomitantly linked with specific constraints and risks. Conversely, contact with nature is free from such challenges and aligns with human biology. Therefore, although one might expect a certain level of resource replenishment from using SM during a short (provided the duration is brief), these advantages are unlikely to exceed those derived from breaks involving nature.
H2. Recovery of the psychological resources of employees after microbreaks, including (a) fatigue and (b) vigor induced by SM activity, is lower than that induced by nature-related activity.
Recovery Experience During SM-Related Microbreaks
The action perspective has long influenced the study of microbreaks and their impact on employee resources. Nonetheless, an additional approach should be considered to comprehensively understand the recovery phenomenon, as Sonnentag et al. 4,6 underscored the necessity of integrating the recovery experience perspective. The subsequent section aims to scrutinize the current knowledge about employee experiences during SM use, which paves the way for formulating a targeted research question. The challenge in analyzing the impact of SM is the focus of the majority of studies on excessive engagement in digital activities at workplaces, resulting in various adverse effects, including emotional exhaustion, perceived stress, fear of missing out, rumination, heightened distractibility, and increased vigilance toward virtual notifications 15,16,39,45–48. These factors may undermine employee experiences with SM, diminishing opportunities for effective resource recovery. However, whether or not only brief periods of SM usage yield these adverse effects remains uncertain.
Additionally, the existing studies frequently lack a precise categorization of the objectives of SM use, such as social, hedonic, or cognitive, and do not align well with established frameworks for understanding employee recovery experiences, such as that proposed by Sonnentag and Fritz 35. They identified four distinct experiences that describe how individuals unwind and recover from work, namely, psychological detachment (mental disengagement from work tasks and responsibilities), relaxation (a state of low activation and increased positive affect), mastery (experiences associated with learning opportunities beyond the work domain), and control (freedom to select one's activities). Although Fritz et al. 49 initially defined these experiences in the context of off-job periods, they were also applicable to employee recovery during working hours 50. Contrary to its negative portrayal, SM use during microbreaks can offer unique benefits to employees, which potentially aids in the replenishment of resources. However, evidence supporting such an impact remains preliminary.
Engaging in short bouts of SM is considered to facilitate psychological detachment from work by capturing the attention of employees and mentally immersing them in the digital realm. For example, refraining from SM use before bedtime is a successful strategy for increasing detachment 51. For relaxation, engagement in SM enhances feelings of social connectedness and belonging and elevates mood 52,53, which may indicate achieved relaxation. Hedonic SM use should particularly contribute to this, as a prior study found that watching amusing video content during microbreaks reduces stress 54. Regarding mastery, there is a notable absence of research explicitly investigating the connection between SM usage and this experience. Finally, despite their short duration, microbreaks can still offer employees a feeling of autonomy. This is because having access to social media may enhance a sense of control, as users can independently choose which content to engage with 55. Limited evidence and lack of systematic analysis on how different types of SM use affect established recovery experience categories lead us to adopt an exploratory approach, prompting an open research question:
RQ1. To what extent is a brief SM use during microbreaks related to the four recovery experiences, namely, (a) psychological detachment, (b) relaxation, (c) mastery, and (d) control?