Unraveling the dark side of ChatGPT: a moderated mediation model of technology anxiety and technostress
Abstract
Purpose
Limited knowledge exists regarding the adverse effects of artificial intelligence adoption, including platforms like ChatGPT, on users’ mental well-being. The current research seeks to adopt the insight from the stressor-strain-outcome paradigm and a moderated mediation model to examine how technology anxiety moderates the direct and indirect relationships between compulsive use of ChatGPT, technostress, and life satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing data from a sample of 2,602 ChatGPT users in Vietnam, PROCESS macro was approached to test the moderated mediation model.
Findings
The findings indicate that compulsive use of ChatGPT exhibited a substantial and positive impact on technostress, while technostress was found to have a negative influence on life satisfaction. Moreover, although compulsive use of ChatGPT did not show a significant direct effect, it indirectly impacts life satisfaction via technostress. Remarkably, technology anxiety was found to significantly moderate both direct and indirect associations between compulsive use of ChatGPT, technostress, and life satisfaction.
Practical implications
Based on the findings of this research, some practical implications are provided.
Originality/value
The research offers a fresh perspective by applying the stressor-strain-outcome perspective to provide empirical evidence on the moderated mediation effects of technology anxiety and technostress on the relationship between compulsive use of ChatGPT and users’ life satisfaction. The research thus sheds new light on artificial intelligence adoption and its effects on users’ mental health.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by National Economics University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Citation
Duong, C.D., Ngo, T.V.N., Khuc, T.A., Tran, N.M. and Nguyen, T.P.T. (2024), "Unraveling the dark side of ChatGPT: a moderated mediation model of technology anxiety and technostress", Information Technology & People, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-11-2023-1151
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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