Worry and fear of missing out are associated with problematic smartphone and social media use severity

In the present study we aimed to investigate whether worry or FOMO would be the more robust correlate of problematic smartphone use (PSU) and problematic social media use (PSMU) severity. We analyzed self-report data from a cross-sectional study of 456 American college students, administered measures of worry, fear of missing out (FOMO), PSU and PSMU. Using structural equation modeling analyses controlling for age and sex, we found that worry and FOMO were both significantly related to greater PSU and PSMU severity; these relationships were stronger for FOMO than worry. Furthermore, FOMO mediated relations between worry with both PSU and PSMU severity. Results are discussed in relation to the I-PACE theoretical model of Internet use disorders, explaining how cognitive and affective response variables may be mechanisms driving relations between psychopathology and problematic Internet use. • Worry was related to problematic smartphone use (PSU) and problematic social media use (PSMU) severity • Fear of missing out (FOMO) was related to PSU and PSMU severity • FOMO was more related to PSU and PSMU than worry was • FOMO mediated relations between worry with both PSU and PSMU