Why social network site use fails to promote well-being? The roles of social overload and fear of missing out

an article by Huan-YouChai, Shuai-Lei Lian, Xiao-Wei Chu, Sanyuya Liu and Xiao-Jun Sun (Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China) and Geng-Feng Niu (Xi'an Jiaotong University, China) published in Computers in Human Behavior Volume 100 (November 2019)

Highlights

• There was no significant correlation between SNS use and subjective well-being.
• SNS use had a suppressing effect on subjective well-being via social overload.
• FoMO moderated the direct and indirect relations between SNS use and subjective well-being.

Abstract

Considering the popularity of social networking sites (SNSs) and the inconsistent results regarding the effect of SNS use on subjective well-being, this study intended to address the question “why SNS fails to predict subjective well-being” by investigating the suppressing role of social overload and moderating role of fear of missing out (FoMO).

A sample of 1,319 Chinese adolescents was recruited to complete measures on SNS use, social overload, FoMO and subjective well-being.

Results showed that SNS use had a positively direct effect on subjective well-being, while the indirect effect via social overload in this association was significantly negative, suggesting that SNS use had a suppressing effect on well-being via social overload.

FoMO moderated the suppressing effect of social overload; specifically, the indirect and direct effects were both more potent for adolescents with higher FoMO. Implications and limitations of this study are also discussed.

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Problematic smartphone usage and subjective and psychological well-being

an article by Sharon Horwood and Jeromy Anglim (Deakin University, Australia) published in Computers in Human Behavior Volume 97 (August 2019)

Highlights

• Problematic smartphone use is associated with lower well-being.
• Autonomy is negatively associated with problematic smartphone use.
• Negative affect is positively associated with problematic smartphone use.
• Reducing smartphone use could be a targeted intervention in clinical settings.

Abstract

Despite a growing awareness that problematic usage of smartphones is becoming a significant public health issue, there is limited research on how problematic smartphone usage relates to the humanistic concepts of well-being, particularly those captured in Ryff's six psychological well-being dimensions: positive relations, autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, and self-acceptance.

The current study aimed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between general and problematic smartphone usage and subjective well-being and psychological well-being using long-form, theoretically grounded measures. Australian adults (n = 539, 79% female; age in years M = 25.1, SD = 7.8) completed Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale, the PANAS, and Ryff's 84-item measure of psychological well-being.

Results showed that problematic smartphone usage was correlated with lower well-being on almost all scales. In particular, negative affect, autonomy, and environmental mastery had the largest negative correlations with problematic smartphone usage. Given the stable and dispositional nature of well-being, it seems likely that much of the relationship is driven by a common underlying tendency to experience anxiety, negative emotions, and a lack of control, combined with a tendency to engage in maladaptive coping and compulsive behavior.

Hazel’s comment:
I was not sure about “problematic smartphone usage”. Just in case you are also a little confused then Wikipedia has an article you may find useful together with links to other information about the effect of problematic usage on your mental health.

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Psychosocial well-being and social media engagement: The mediating roles of social comparison orientation and fear of missing out

an article by Felix Reer, Wai Yen Tang and Thorsten Quandt (University of Münster, Germany) published in New Media & Society Volume 21 Issue 7 (July 2019)

Abstract

Based on a large representative sample of German Internet users aged 14–39 years, the current survey study investigates how three indicators of decreases in well-being (loneliness, anxiety, and depression) are connected to social media engagement (SME).

To provide a deeper understanding of this relationship, not only direct links are inspected, but fear of missing out (FoMO) and social comparison orientation (SCO) are considered as possible mediators.

The results show that loneliness, depression, and anxiety are positively related to increases in SME. FoMO and SCO jointly mediate the connection between well-being and SME, that is, decreases in well-being are connected with increases in FoMO and SCO, which in turn positively predict SME. Furthermore, SCO and FoMO are found to be positively related to each other, suggesting that those with a high SCO might form a particular at-risk group for the development of FoMO.

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