A longitudinal moderated mediation model of fear of missing out, loneliness, depression, and internet gaming addiction

Extant cross-sectional evidence consistently points to a close association between fear of missing out (FoMO) and internet gaming addiction (IGA), yet longitudinal investigations into this link and its underlying mechanisms remain scarce. To extend prior research, we implemented a three-wave longitudinal design from October 2022 to October 2023, testing a multiple mediation framework that incorporated loneliness and depression. Because FoMO involves anxiety over unmet social belonging, which may foster both loneliness) and depression, these two mediators were selected to represent distinct yet interrelated emotional pathways. A cohort of 326 Chinese undergraduates completed baseline assessments, with 312 and 303 participants retained at the subsequent two waves. FoMO was measured at Wave 1, loneliness and depression at Wave 2, and IGA at Wave 3, using validated Chinese versions of all scales. Results showed a significant positive longitudinal association between FoMO and IGA (r = 0.15, p < 0.01). Both loneliness and depression mediated this relationship (indirect effect = 0.12), explaining 57.14% of the total effect. Gender did not moderate the direct effect of FoMO on IGA nor the indirect effects via loneliness or depression. The results clarify the temporal processes connecting FoMO to problematic gaming, supporting the theoretical perspective that FoMO heightens vulnerability to IGA by first intensifying negative emotional states (loneliness and depression). These findings underscore the value of targeting negative emotional states in psychological interventions designed to reduce vulnerability to IGA.