Mediating Role of FoMO and Social Media Addiction in the Relationship Between Coronavirus Anxiety and Basic Psychological Needs

This study investigated whether fear of missing out (FoMO) and social media addiction serve as mediators in the relationship between coronavirus-related anxiety and the satisfaction of fundamental psychological needs. Analyses performed within the proposed structural model demonstrated that coronavirus anxiety significantly predicted FoMO, which subsequently predicted social media addiction. Social media addiction adversely influenced the fulfillment of fundamental psychological needs. Additionally, coronavirus anxiety indirectly forecasted fundamental psychological needs via FoMO and social media addiction. The results also showed that FoMO predicted basic psychological needs through social media addiction, and that coronavirus anxiety predicted social media addiction through FoMO. These findings are evaluated in the context of the present studies, and practical implications for mental health practitioners are delineated.