Perceived social support and fear of missing out among adolescents: The mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction

Grounded in self-determination theory, this study examined the associations between perceived social support, basic psychological need satisfaction, and fear of missing out (FoMO), and tested whether basic psychological need satisfaction mediated the relationship between social support and FoMO in a context of heightened digital engagement. Participants were 454 high school students who completed measures of perceived social support, basic psychological need satisfaction, and FoMO. Correlational analyses showed that higher perceived social support and greater basic psychological need satisfaction were associated with lower levels of FoMO. Mediation analyses indicated that basic psychological need satisfaction fully mediated the association between perceived social support and FoMO. Findings highlight the importance of social and psychological resources in adolescents’ digital experiences and suggest that basic psychological need satisfaction may function as a key mechanism through which social support is associated with lower levels of FoMO. Implications for school-based and preventive interventions in digitally intensive contexts are discussed.