Association between ostracism and digital addiction: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Ostracism (social exclusion) is a common interpersonal experience linked to maladaptive behaviours such as digital addiction. This systematic review and meta‐analysis examined the association between various forms of digital addiction and ostracism. A search of PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest up to June 2024 identified 1056 studies, of which 29 met the inclusion criteria. Pooled effect sizes indicated a small‐to‐moderate positive correlation between ostracism and digital addiction: 0.23 (95% CI: 0.13–0.33) for internet addiction, 0.28 (95% CI: 0.23–0.32) for smartphone addiction, and 0.28 (95% CI: 0.14–0.41) for social media addiction. Adolescents emerged as particularly vulnerable. Psychological and contextual factors such as nomophobia, loneliness, boredom, anger, impulsivity, rejection sensitivity, poor self‐control, negative parenting, and narcissistic traits were associated with stronger correlations between ostracism and addictive behaviours. Conversely, protective factors including resilience, social self‐efficacy, and supportive family environments helped buffer the negative effects of ostracism. These findings underscore the importance of psychosocial, school‐based and family‐based interventions to address digital addiction related to social exclusion.