THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE, FEAR OF MISSING OUT AND EMOTIONAL DYSREGULATION AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

Background: In an era where digital connectivity dominates daily life, social media has become an integral component of communication and identity formation, particularly among young adults. However, excessive engagement is increasingly associated with adverse psychological outcomes, including emotional instability. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) has emerged as a central mechanism linking social media involvement with emotional disturbances, highlighting the need to explore its mediating role in this relationship.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationships among social media use, FOMO, and emotional dysregulation in young adults, and to examine whether FOMO mediates the link between social media use and emotional dysregulation while accounting for demographic factors.

Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was applied among 322 young adults aged 18–25 years (44.7% males, 55.3% females). Participants completed standardized instruments: the Social Media Use Scale (SMUS; α = .922), the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FOMOS; α = .826), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale—Short Form (DERS-16; α = .920). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, hierarchical multiple regression, and mediation analysis through Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrapped samples.

Results: Social media usage significantly predicted emotional dysregulation (B = 0.29, SE = 0.03, β = .51, p < .001), explaining 26% of its variance. FOMO was positively correlated with both social media use (r = .52, p < .001) and emotional dysregulation (r = .58, p < .001) and partially mediated their relationship (indirect effect B = 0.13, 95% CI [0.09, 0.18]). Age showed a weak negative effect (B = −0.043, p = .040), whereas gender, education, and socioeconomic status were non-significant predictors.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that FOMO significantly mediates the association between social media use and emotional dysregulation among young adults, emphasizing that psychological mechanisms outweigh demographic predictors. These results suggest that interventions promoting emotional regulation and mindful social media use could mitigate digital-era emotional vulnerabilities.