Fear of Missing Out, Internet Addiction and Their Relationship to Psychological Symptoms

Internet addiction has become one of the most important problems of today's youth and received considerable attention from scholars. Research demonstrated significant impairments in psychological and social functioning among internet dependents. Given this, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between fear of missing out (FoMO), internet addiction, and psychological symptoms. Based on research demonstrating that FoMO, the pervasive anxiety associated with the feeling that one is missing out others’ satisfying experiences, increases social media engagement, it was expected that FoMO would relate to internet addiction, which in turn would be linked to poor psychological well-being. The sample consisted of 322 undergraduate students who filled out items measuring FoMO, internet addiction and psychological symptoms. The regression analysis revealed that internet addiction acts as a mediator in the link between FoMO and psychological symptoms. That is, the participants’ greater FoMO is linked to higher levels of psychological symptoms both directly and indirectly through a higher level of internet addiction. Overall, the present study provides an insight into our understanding of the psychological and behavioral aspects of internet addiction, and thus, makes an important contribution to the promotion of mental health.

Cite this article as: Metin-Orta, İ. (2020). Fear of missing out, internet addiction and their relationship to psychological symptoms. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 7(1), 67-73.