Dempsey AE, O'Brien KD, Tiamiyu MF, Elhai JD. Fear of missing out (FoMO) and rumination mediate relations between social anxiety and problematic Facebook use.
Addict Behav Rep 2019;
9:100150. [PMID:
31193746 PMCID:
PMC6542373 DOI:
10.1016/j.abrep.2018.100150]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction
Prior research has found that psychopathology constructs such as depression and anxiety are associated with problematic use of Facebook (PFU). In the present study, we examined a structural equation model whereby depression, social anxiety and lower life satisfaction predicted PFU severity, while analyzing mediating variables including rumination, fear of missing out (FoMO), and frequency of Facebook use, as well as age and gender as covariates.
Method
Participants were 296 college students administered a web survey of instruments measuring these constructs.
Results
Modeling results demonstrate that FoMO and rumination were significantly related to PFU severity. Facebook use frequency was related to PFU severity. FoMO and rumination each mediated relations between social anxiety and PFU severity.
Conclusions
Results are discussed in the context of prior work on FoMO and excessive technology use, as well as several relevant theoretical frameworks.
Fear of missing out (FoMO) was related to problematic Facebook use (PFU) severity.
Facebook use frequency related to PFU severity.
Rumination was associated with PFU severity.
Rumination mediated relations between social anxiety and PFU severity.
FoMO mediated relations between social anxiety and PFU severity.
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