Fear of missing out in adolescence: The role of emotion regulation and self-esteem in a two-wave study

Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is a salient factor influencing adolescents' mental health in the digital age. This two-wave longitudinal study examined whether self-esteem mediates the association between emotion regulation difficulties and FoMO over a five-month interval, while controlling for baseline levels of FoMO and self-esteem, as well as age and sex. A total of 1311 adolescents (57.5% female; M = 16.4, SD = 1.1) completed self-report measures of FoMO, self-esteem (RSES), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale–Short Form (DERS-SF). Regression analyses showed that the DERS Strategies subscale, reflecting limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies, was the only dimension that uniquely predicted FoMO at follow-up after controlling for baseline levels. Structural equation modeling supported a mediation model, with a significant indirect effect of emotion regulation difficulties on FoMO at follow-up via self-esteem. The final model demonstrated good fit and explained 55% of the variance in FoMO at follow-up. Findings indicate that difficulties accessing adaptive regulation strategies may be associated with lower self-esteem over time, which in turn relates to higher FoMO. Interventions targeting emotion regulation and self-esteem may help mitigate FoMO-related distress in adolescence. • Two-wave study examining prospective associations between emotion dysregulation and Fear of Missing Out • Perceived limited access to emotion regulation strategies predicts increases in FoMO over five months. • Self-esteem mediates the longitudinal link between emotion dysregulation and FoMO. • Baseline FoMO, age, and sex were controlled in all longitudinal models. • Findings support developmental pathways connecting emotional regulation, self-worth, and digital social experiences.