The Impact of Academic Stress on Cyberloafing with Fatigue as a Mediating Variable: Study of Students in Bandung City-Indonesia During a Pandemic

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">The evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected various aspects of human life, with numerous activities carried out through networks, including education. Lecturers need to change their teaching strategies to make students able to accept the material provided. On the other hand, students must manage their lives without being limited by space and time to avoid stress and cyberloafing, especially in the academic field. Cyberloafing is the act of accessing the internet during study hours for personal interests. Therefore, this research aims to determine the effect of academic stress on cyberloafing and whether fatigue is a mediating variable between both factors. Data were collected from 284 students studying in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The results showed that the academic stress felt by students has a positive and significant effect on cyberloafing behavior. Although fatigue positively affects both factors, it does not mediate the relationship between them. The managerial implications in this research are expected to be used as material for evaluating online learning methods for students, as well as to make them aware of the negative impact of cyberloafing behavior during lectures.</p>