The longitudinal relationship between fear of missing out and problematic mobile phone use in adolescents: Compensation for psychological distress rather than fulfillment of psychological needs

Adolescents' problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) has become an increasing concern, with emerging research suggesting that social and psychological factors may play a significant role in its development. One factor is Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), which has been linked to increased mobile phone use. However, the mechanisms through which FoMO contributes to PMPU remain unclear, particularly regarding the role of psychological distress and unmet psychological needs. This study investigates the impact of FoMO on PMPU among adolescents, with a focus on whether FoMO leads to PMPU through psychological distress or unmet psychological needs. A sample of 1072 adolescents was surveyed across three time points. To analyze the data, this study employed Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models and Latent Growth Models. The results revealed that psychological distress mediated the relationship between FoMO and PMPU. However, psychological needs did not show a significant mediation effect at the within-person level. Furthermore, no mediation effect was found for the growth rate of these variables in the relationship between FoMO and PMPU. Notably, FoMO positively predicted the growth rates of psychological needs, and the growth rate of psychological distress positively predicted the growth rate of PMPU among adolescents. Conclusions : This study underscores the significant role of psychological distress in the development of PMPU among adolescents. The findings suggest that interventions targeting emotional states, particularly those addressing psychological distress, could help mitigate the negative effects of FoMO on adolescents' problematic mobile phone use.