IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i12p4566-d376057.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fear of Missing Out, Mental Wellbeing, and Social Connectedness: A Seven-Day Social Media Abstinence Trial

Author

Listed:
  • Lorna Brown

    (International Gaming Research Unit and Cyberpsychology Research Group, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK)

  • Daria J. Kuss

    (International Gaming Research Unit and Cyberpsychology Research Group, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK)

Abstract

Smartphones aid the constant accessibility of social media (SM) applications, and these devices and platforms have become a key part of our everyday lives and needs. Previous research has focused on the psychological impact of social media use (SMU) and SM abstinence has only received limited attention. Therefore, employing a combination of an experimental within-subjects mixed methodology using surveys to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data, this study aimed to compare psychosocial factors of fear of missing out (FoMO), mental wellbeing (MWB), and social connectedness (SC) before and after seven days of SM abstinence. Results revealed that participants ( N = 61) experienced a significant increase in MWB and SC, and a significant decrease in FoMO and smartphone use following SM abstinence. There was a significant positive relationship between MWB and SC change scores and a significant negative relationship between SC and FoMO change scores. There were no significant differences in levels of SMU before abstinence or across genders in FoMO, MWB, and SC change scores. Thematic analysis revealed coping, habit, and boredom as motivations for SMU, and notification distractions presenting a challenge for successful abstinence from SM. Participants indicated that abstinence resulted in the perceived need to fill their time with non-SM applications. Finally, thematic analysis revealed mixed experiences of perceived connectivity in the absence of SMU. Findings present implications for the importance of unplugging from SM for temporary periods because scrolling through SM to fill time is a key motivator of SMU, and notifications encourage SMU and trigger FoMO.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorna Brown & Daria J. Kuss, 2020. "Fear of Missing Out, Mental Wellbeing, and Social Connectedness: A Seven-Day Social Media Abstinence Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-18, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:12:p:4566-:d:376057
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/12/4566/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/12/4566/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daria J. Kuss & Mark D. Griffiths, 2017. "Social Networking Sites and Addiction: Ten Lessons Learned," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-17, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yossiri Yossatorn & Theerapong Binali & Cathy Weng & Regina Juchun Chu, 2023. "Investigating the Relationships Among LINE Users’ Concerns, Motivations for Information Sharing Intention and Information Sharing Behavior," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daria J. Kuss & Lydia Harkin & Eiman Kanjo & Joel Billieux, 2018. "Problematic Smartphone Use: Investigating Contemporary Experiences Using a Convergent Design," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, January.
    2. Lara Scherer & Lisa Mader & Klaus Wölfling & Manfred E. Beutel & Boris Egloff & Kai W. Müller, 2022. "Nosological Characteristics in Women with Social Media Disorder: The Role of Social Functional Impairment and Agreeableness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-11, November.
    3. Melina A. Throuvala & Mark D. Griffiths & Mike Rennoldson & Daria J. Kuss, 2019. "A ‘Control Model’ of Social Media Engagement in Adolescence: A Grounded Theory Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-18, November.
    4. Steven S. Chan & Michelle Van Solt & Ryan E. Cruz & Matthew Philp & Shalini Bahl & Nuket Serin & Nelson Borges Amaral & Robert Schindler & Abbey Bartosiak & Smriti Kumar & Murad Canbulut, 2022. "Social media and mindfulness: From the fear of missing out (FOMO) to the joy of missing out (JOMO)," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 1312-1331, September.
    5. Majid Altuwairiqi & Nan Jiang & Raian Ali, 2019. "Problematic Attachment to Social Media: Five Behavioural Archetypes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-36, June.
    6. Sarah Helene Aarestad & Tine Almenning Flaa & Mark D. Griffiths & Ståle Pallesen, 2023. "Smartphone Addiction and Subjective Withdrawal Effects: A Three-Day Experimental Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    7. José-María Romero-Rodríguez & Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz & José-Antonio Marín-Marín & Rebeca Soler-Costa & Carmen Rodríguez-Jiménez, 2020. "Impact of Problematic Smartphone Use and Instagram Use Intensity on Self-Esteem with University Students from Physical Education," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-10, June.
    8. Min-Jung Kwak & Hyun Cho & Dai-Jin Kim, 2022. "The Role of Motivation Systems, Anxiety, and Low Self-Control in Smartphone Addiction among Smartphone-Based Social Networking Service (SNS) Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-16, June.
    9. Zhou, Fei & Lin, Youhai & Mou, Jian & Cohen, Jason & Chen, Sihua, 2023. "Understanding the dark side of gamified interactions on short-form video platforms: Through a lens of expectations violations theory," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PB).
    10. Goodness Chinazor Joshua Chukwuere & Joshua Ebere Chukwuere, 2023. "The Difficulties Posed by Digital Technology: Understanding the Psychological Consequences of Social Media Use on Young Adults' Body Image and Self-Esteem," Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Richtmann Publishing Ltd, vol. 12, November.
    11. Alessandro Costantini & Cristina Semeraro & Pasquale Musso & Rosalinda Cassibba & Gabrielle Coppola, 2022. "The Role of Parenting, Dysregulation and Self-Esteem in Adolescents’ Problematic Social Network Site Use: A Test of Parallel and Serial Mediation Models in a Healthy Community Sample," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-14, October.
    12. Olatz Lopez-Fernandez, 2018. "Generalised Versus Specific Internet Use-Related Addiction Problems: A Mixed Methods Study on Internet, Gaming, and Social Networking Behaviours," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-33, December.
    13. Montserrat Peris & Usue de la Barrera & Konstanze Schoeps & Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla, 2020. "Psychological Risk Factors that Predict Social Networking and Internet Addiction in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-23, June.
    14. Honglei Mu & Qiaojie Jiang & Jiang Xu & Sijing Chen, 2022. "Drivers and Consequences of Short-Form Video (SFV) Addiction amongst Adolescents in China: Stress-Coping Theory Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-18, October.
    15. Alicia Tamarit & Konstanze Schoeps & Montserrat Peris-Hernández & Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla, 2021. "The Impact of Adolescent Internet Addiction on Sexual Online Victimization: The Mediating Effects of Sexting and Body Self-Esteem," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-17, April.
    16. Bernard Claverie & Baptiste Prébot, 2024. "Low-level cognitive warfare: The War of the brains [La guerre cognitive de bas niveau : la guerre des cerveaux]," Post-Print hal-04475734, HAL.
    17. Hiu Yan Wong & Hoi Yi Mo & Marc N. Potenza & Mung Ni Monica Chan & Wai Man Lau & Tsz Kwan Chui & Amir H. Pakpour & Chung-Ying Lin, 2020. "Relationships between Severity of Internet Gaming Disorder, Severity of Problematic Social Media Use, Sleep Quality and Psychological Distress," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-13, March.
    18. Zeyang Yang & Mark D. Griffiths & Zhihao Yan & Wenting Xu, 2021. "Can Watching Online Videos Be Addictive? A Qualitative Exploration of Online Video Watching among Chinese Young Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-14, July.
    19. Mohammad Saud Alotaibi & Mim Fox & Robyn Coman & Zubair Ahmed Ratan & Hassan Hosseinzadeh, 2022. "Smartphone Addiction Prevalence and Its Association on Academic Performance, Physical Health, and Mental Well-Being among University Students in Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-17, March.
    20. Caterina Primi & Giulia Fioravanti & Silvia Casale & Maria Anna Donati, 2021. "Measuring Problematic Facebook Use among Adolescents and Young Adults with the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale: A Psychometric Analysis by Applying Item Response Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-15, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:12:p:4566-:d:376057. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.