This research investigates the unintended adverse outcomes of consumer–human brand relationships facilitated by social media, particularly the impact of human brand attachment on social media-induced sleep problems. The moderating roles of self-regulation and need-fulfillment focus are examined.
A total of 497 valid responses from Indonesian consumers (Study 1) and 273 from US consumers (Study 2) were analyzed using structural equation modeling to empirically evaluate the proposed research model.
The results showed that stronger human brand attachment contributed to problematic human brand engagement on social media, which subsequently led to social media-induced sleep problems (i.e. poor social media sleep hygiene, problematic sleep and exhaustion). These effects were intensified by higher self-regulation, especially when consumer need-fulfillment was more promotion-focused (vs prevention-focused).
This research is among the few studies to highlight the dark side of consumer–human brand relationships in the digital realm. It advances research on social media-induced sleep problems from the perspective of consumer–human brand relationships, offering insights to consumers, parents and governments to inform preventive measures.
