The Relationship Between the Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, Mindfulness, and Subjective Well-Being
Location
Guzman 201, Dominican University of California
Start Date
4-17-2019 4:00 PM
End Date
4-17-2019 5:00 PM
Student Type
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor(s)
Matt Davis, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Social media engagement has grown into widespread normative behavior among all age groups. Although social media is widely believed to offer individuals numerous positive outcomes (e.g., social connectedness), there has recently been a growing concern regarding the potential development of excessive and compulsive social media use. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a phenomenon that has been newly investigated as a potential factor associated with problematic social media use. The purpose of the present study was to contribute to the existing body of research by investigating the relationship between the fear of missing out, problematic social media use, and potential mental health correlates. Approximately 65 participants were recruited from a post on my personal Facebook and Instagram pages, requesting people’s voluntary participation in the study. Participants were provided with a link to complete an online survey containing several demographic items and questions about the social media platforms that they use. The survey also included a number of standardized scales that measured the intensity of their fear of missing out, problematic social media use, subjective well-being, and mindful awareness. While data are still in the process of being collected, it is expected that higher levels of the fear of missing out will be associated with problematic social media use. It is also hypothesized that lower levels of mindful awareness and lower subjective well-being will be associated with both a greater fear of missing out and problematic social media use. Lastly, it is expected that there will be a negative correlation between the fear of missing out and subjective well-being, independent of one’s problematic social media use. The implications of these findings will be discussed.
The Relationship Between the Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, Mindfulness, and Subjective Well-Being
Guzman 201, Dominican University of California
Social media engagement has grown into widespread normative behavior among all age groups. Although social media is widely believed to offer individuals numerous positive outcomes (e.g., social connectedness), there has recently been a growing concern regarding the potential development of excessive and compulsive social media use. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a phenomenon that has been newly investigated as a potential factor associated with problematic social media use. The purpose of the present study was to contribute to the existing body of research by investigating the relationship between the fear of missing out, problematic social media use, and potential mental health correlates. Approximately 65 participants were recruited from a post on my personal Facebook and Instagram pages, requesting people’s voluntary participation in the study. Participants were provided with a link to complete an online survey containing several demographic items and questions about the social media platforms that they use. The survey also included a number of standardized scales that measured the intensity of their fear of missing out, problematic social media use, subjective well-being, and mindful awareness. While data are still in the process of being collected, it is expected that higher levels of the fear of missing out will be associated with problematic social media use. It is also hypothesized that lower levels of mindful awareness and lower subjective well-being will be associated with both a greater fear of missing out and problematic social media use. Lastly, it is expected that there will be a negative correlation between the fear of missing out and subjective well-being, independent of one’s problematic social media use. The implications of these findings will be discussed.