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Research Paper | Psychology | Volume 15 Issue 8, August 2026 | Pages: 740 - 740 | India
Social Media Fatigue, Fear of Missing Out, and Psychological Well-Being among Young Adults
Abstract: The rapid expansion of social media has transformed the ways in which young adults communicate, maintain social relationships, and obtain information. However, persistent engagement with social networking platforms may also create psychological challenges, particularly when individuals experience Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), defined as the apprehension that others are experiencing rewarding events without oneself. Repeated monitoring of social-media activities may contribute to social media fatigue, characterized by psychological exhaustion, reduced motivation, and feelings of being overwhelmed by continuous online engagement. The present study proposes to examine the relationship between Fear of Missing Out, social media fatigue, and psychological well-being among young adults, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of social media fatigue. A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational research design will be employed. The proposed sample will comprise approximately 300-400 young adults aged 18-30 years who regularly use social-media platforms. Data will be collected using standardized measures of Fear of Missing Out, social media fatigue, and psychological well-being. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson's product-moment correlation, regression analysis, and mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro for SPSS will be employed. Bootstrapping procedures will be used to examine the significance of the indirect effect of Fear of Missing Out on psychological well-being through social media fatigue. The study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms through which problematic patterns of digital engagement may influence well-being among young adults. The findings may have implications for digital well-being interventions, psychological counselling, university student-support programmes, and the development of strategies promoting healthier and more self-regulated social-media use.
Keywords: Fear of Missing Out, social media fatigue, psychological well-being, young adults, social media use, digital well-being, mediation
How to Cite?: Dr. Shruti Pandey, "Social Media Fatigue, Fear of Missing Out, and Psychological Well-Being among Young Adults", Volume 15 Issue 8, August 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 740-740, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26810154236, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26810154236