Role of Impulsivity, Compulsive Use, and Fear of Missing Out on Social Media Fatigue and Psychological Distress

The study aimed to explore the influence of impulsivity, compulsive use of the internet, and Fear of missing out (FoMO) on social media fatigue (SMF) and psychological distress among young adults. The study sample included 120 social media users who were active on different social media platforms. Analysis of the data revealed the following outcomes: Impulsivity, compulsive use of the internet, and FoMO had a significant impact on SMF and psychological distress. People with high impulsivity, compulsive internet use, and FoMO were significantly higher on both SMF and psychological distress as compared to their counterparts who were had low impulsivity, compulsive internet usage, and fear of missing. Participants with high SMF were found to have significantly more psychological distress as compared to those who had low SMF. Researchers may design future studies to test and explore the outcomes of this research either in random control trials or in quasi-experimental research to generate a more trustworthy database for this line of research.