<p>This research aims to investigate the mechanisms through which social media overload affects learning engagement among university students. A moderated mediation model was constructed to examine the mediating role of ego depletion between social media overload and learning engagement and the moderating effects of willpower beliefs and time pressure. By using quota sampling, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 601 undergraduate students in Guangxi Province, China. The results revealed that ego depletion mediates the relationship between social media overload and learning engagement, willpower beliefs moderate the relationship between ego depletion and learning engagement, and time pressure moderates the relationship between social media overload and learning engagement. This research contributes to understanding the relationship between social media overload and learning engagement from the perspective of conservation of resources theory. The findings provide valuable insights for guiding university students in the rational use of social media to enhance their learning engagement.</p>