Date
10-14-2026
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Master of Science in Public Health in Epidemiology (MSPH)
Chair
Tonya Price
Keywords
Digital Burnout, Burnout, Psychological, Students, Universities, Screen Time, Social Media, Cross-Sectional Studies, Mental Health
Disciplines
Public Health
Recommended Citation
Neupane, Shaira, "Prevalence and Correlates of Digital Burnout Among Liberty University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study" (2026). Masters Theses. 1551.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/1551
Abstract
Background: Digital burnout, characterized by chronic psychological and physiological fatigue from persistent digital engagement, is an emerging public health concern among university students. It is conceptually related to but distinct from academic burnout, and few U.S. studies have examined both constructs together using validated instruments.
Objective: To describe digital burnout among Liberty University students, identify its sociodemographic and behavioral correlates, assess its relationship with academic burnout, and evaluate student awareness of campus digital-wellness resources.
Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 336 Liberty University students during Summer 2026 using the Digital Burnout Scale (DBS) and the Academic Burnout Scale (ABS). Hierarchical linear regression, Spearman correlation, and correction for attenuation were used, guided by the Socioecological Model.
Results: The mean DBS total score was 64.76 (SD, 16.85). After adjustment, men scored 6.79 points lower than women (P = .002) and Black students scored 8.72 points lower than White students (P = .02). Non-academic screen time and after-hours message pressure showed graded, dose-dependent associations with DBS scores (up to 16.01 and 13.64 points, respectively; P < .001), together explaining 20.4% of the variance. DBS and ABS total scores were strongly correlated (ρ = 0.60; P < .001), with a deattenuated correlation of .66 indicating partial but incomplete overlap between the constructs. Behavioral predictors remained associated with digital burnout after accounting for academic burnout, though this independence was order-dependent. Two-thirds of students who responded to the awareness question were unaware of any university digital-wellness resource.
Conclusion: Digital burnout is moderate on average in this sample and is shaped jointly by both individual behavior and institutional communication norms; it is related to, but distinguishable from, academic burnout. Low awareness of existing campus resources represents an actionable gap, and closing it reflects the biblical call to stewardship and to speak up for those in need (Proverbs 31:8-9).
