The moderating role of social media usage in the relationship between self-confidence and fear of missing out among high school students

Social media use has shown various adverse effects on student well-being, including fear of missing out (FoMO). This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of social media usage on the relationship between self-confidence and FoMO. This study employed a cross-sectional quantitative survey across social media platforms in Makassar, Indonesia. The participants were 385 high school students who frequently used social media, ranging in age from 15 to 18 years, living in Makassar, Indonesia. They were recruited through social media platforms and invited to participate in the study. This study administered the self-confidence scale and the FoMO scale. Confirmatory factor analysis and the moderated regression analysis technique by Hayes were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that self-confidence was negatively associated with FoMO among student users of social media. On the other hand, social media usage moderated the direct effect of self-confidence on FoMO, in which students with high exposure to social media tended to show a stronger negative relationship between self-confidence and FoMO. Students, as social media users, should develop self-confidence to prevent the emergence of FoMO and access social media content with greater consideration and mindfulness, particularly when they have low self-confidence.