Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and social media addiction by incorporating three protective factors—life satisfaction, self-esteem, and psychological resilience—which hold a significant place in the positive psychology literature, within a single model. The study tested the parallel mediating roles of these variables in the relationship between FoMO and social media addiction. Method: In line with the principle of accessibility, a convenience sampling method was employed, and data were collected online from 475 university students (78.9% female). The data collection instruments included the Social Media Addiction Scale, the Fear of Missing Out Scale, the Brief Resilience Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results: FoMO was positively associated with social media addiction and self-esteem (due to reverse scoring), and negatively associated with life satisfaction and psychological resilience. In the parallel mediation analysis, self-esteem (B = .12, 95% BCa CI .001, .25) and psychological resilience (B = .13, 95% BCa CI .02, .26) emerged as significant mediators in the FoMO–social media addiction relationship, whereas the mediating effect of life satisfaction was not significant (B = .02, 95% BCa CI −.02, .08). The model explained 31% of the variance in social media addiction. Conclusion: The results indicate that FoMO is a strong predictor of social media addiction and that self-esteem and psychological resilience play significant mediating roles in this relationship. Accordingly, interventions to reduce social media addiction may benefit from targeting processes related to FoMO, strengthening resilience, and supporting self-esteem. Particularly for university students, comprehensive and sustainable strategies designed to facilitate effective screen time management, provide alternative opportunities for socialization, and promote balanced social media use are expected to make a substantial contribution to the development of healthier and more functional digital interactions.
Zeynep Erdoğan Yıldırım (Sat,) studied this question.