The ramifications of mobile apps’ detrimental aspect on users’ life satisfaction have garnered increased attention from academics. To probe the underlying association between life satisfaction and mobile app fatigue, this article builds a research model based on a stressor–strain–outcome approach. In addition, the study investigates the relationships between different dimensions of network heterogeneity, emotional exhaustion, and mobile app fatigue among users. Furthermore, the study uncovers the moderating influence of upward comparison, self-presentation, and privacy invasion on the association between life satisfaction and emotional exhaustion in the mobile app context. The study collected data in mainland China using a cross-sectional approach and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling. The findings demonstrate that life satisfaction is positively associated with self-presentation and negatively associated with upward comparison. Moreover, privacy invasion and upward comparison are positively correlated with emotional exhaustion, whilst self-presentation exerts no correlation with emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, upward comparison could mediate the association between life satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. The results provide fresh light on the mechanisms through which the life satisfaction of mobile app users and network heterogeneity might lead to emotional exhaustion and mobile app fatigue, highlighting important theoretical and practical implications.
