Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and Social Media Addiction: The Moderated Mediation Role of Mental Well-being and Mindfulness

Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) has been widely linked to increased social media addiction (SMA); however, the underlying mechanisms remain an area of ongoing research. Mindfulness has been identified as a potential protective factor, while mental well-being may further shape its impact. This study investigates the mediating role of mindfulness and the moderating role of mental well-being in the relationship between FoMO and SMA through a moderated mediation model. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 840 university students from a state university in Turkey. Data were analyzed using the PROCESS macro (Model 14) to examine conditional indirect effects. Findings revealed that FoMO is significantly and positively associated with SMA. Moreover, mindfulness mediates this relationship, as higher levels of mindfulness are linked to lower SMA levels. Additionally, mental well-being moderates the effect of mindfulness on SMA, with greater mental well-being strengthening the protective role of mindfulness against SMA. These findings underscore the importance of mindfulness and mental well-being in mitigating the impact of FoMO on SMA. Higher levels of mental well-being enhance the protective effect of mindfulness, suggesting that interventions aimed at improving mindfulness and mental well-being may be effective in reducing SMA among university students