Problematic Social Media use Among Adolescents: FoMO, Perception of Influence of Social Media, and Mental Health

Adolescents who cannot manage their social media use may develop problematic social media use. Frequency of social media use may not be the primary contributor to problematic social media use. Subjective experiences of individuals, such as fear of missing out (FoMO), perception of influence of social media, and mental health may also contribute to problematic social media use. FoMO is the apprehensive feeling that others are engaging in rewarding activities, and perception of influence of social media is an implicit theory that social media influences one’s beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors. In this study, 304 adolescents ( M = 16.12 years, SD = 1.08; 69% female) completed an online questionnaire about demographics, problematic social media use, fear of missing out, perceptions of influence of social media, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Female adolescents were significantly higher on all measures. Only the combination of frequency of social media use, FoMO, and perception of influence of social media predicted problematic social media use.