The bidirectional relationships between fear of missing out, problematic social media use and adolescents’ well-being: A random intercept cross-lagged panel model

Problematic social media use (PSMU) is a societal problem, which impacts adolescents' well-being. Fear of missing out (FoMO) has been suggested as a core risk factor predicting both PSMU and adolescents' well-being. However, longitudinal research on the directionality of these relationships is scarce. The present study aims to fill this knowledge gap by testing the bidirectional relationships between FoMO, PSMU and adolescents’ life satisfaction in the total sample, as well as for girls and boys separately. This study used four-waves annual longitudinal data collected from 2015 to 2019 among Dutch adolescents aged 11–15 years (n = 1419, Mage = 12.5 ± 0.60, 45.9% girls). We applied random intercept cross-lagged panel model(s) to separate within-person level effects from between-person level effects. On the within-person level, findings suggested a unidirectional relationship whereby FoMO increased PSMU during mid-adolescence, but not vice versa. Moreover, low life satisfaction predicted an increase in FoMO during early adolescents. These findings underline that FoMO can be considered a risk factor of PSMU, and that low life satisfaction may be a risk factor for developing FoMO. These insights should be considered in intervention programs developed to effectively prevent unhealthy internet use in adolescents.