Fear of missing out and problematic social media use: A serial mediation model of social comparison and self-esteem

Fear of missing out and problematic social media use: A serial mediation model of social comparison and self-esteem

Blog Article

Background and aim: Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is consistently associated with problematic KOR-CHEM social media use (PSMU).Moreover, previous studies have shown a significant association between FoMO, self-esteem, and social comparison.However, there is a lack of studies that have investigated the relationship between, FoMO, social comparison, self-esteem, and PSMU in an integrated model.The present study hypothesized that FoMO may influence PSMU through the serial mediating role of social comparison and self-esteem.

Method: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted comprising 256 Italian university students (74.4% female), aged 18 to 38 years (M = 23.05 years; SD = 3.58).

The participants completed an online survey assessing the variables of the study.Results: Controlling for Boys Polo age and gender, the results showed positive associations between FoMO, social comparison, and PSMU, and a negative association between FoMO and self-esteem.Self-esteem was also negatively associated with PSMU.It was also found that social comparison and self-esteem sequentially mediated the association between FoMO and PSMU.

Conclusions: The present study contributes to understanding the mechanisms that underline the complex effects of FoMO on PSMU.