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InPsych 2023 | Vol 45

Spring 2023

InPsych 2023 | Vol 45

Education and research

Got FoMo? Links between social media and anxiety in teens

Got FoMo? Links between social media and anxiety in teens

Social media use impacts teens anxiety, but for a certain few. Research published in the Australian Journal of Psychology (Einstein, Dabb & Fraser, 2023) suggests parents, counsellors and schools should focus on whether a teenager feels as though they belong while becoming used to experiences of 'Missing Out' to target and reduce anxiety for adolescents when they use social media.  

This study showed that for many, anxiety was low with SMU (social media use), but for a specific group of adolescents with high FoMO (Fear of Missing Out), anxiety was higher with more SMU. FoMO is the extent to which a person is preoccupied with being included in shared enjoyable experiences with their friends and upset when they are excluded from rewarding experiences. The key factor of high FoMO was documented in 11% of 12- to 16-year-olds in this study.  

Only students with the highest levels of FoMO were adversely impacted by anxiety when they reported more frequent use of social media. For students with low FoMO, greater SMU was associated with less overall anxiety. Thus there were a group of adolescents who derived some benefit from SMU.  

Considering these results from the perspective of belongingness theory, high FoMO may indicate that an adolescent is not experiencing a sense of belonging (Roberts & David, 2019), potentially increasing their risk of experiencing anxiety symptoms (Oberst et al., 2017). This may heighten their motivation to use social media, with anxiety increasing if belongingness needs remain unmet. However, if belongingness needs are met, social media use may not influence anxiety and social media may be useful for social connection (Smith, Leonis & Anandavalli, 2021).  

It's important to note that this study did not examine relationships between SMU and depression, therefore conclusions should not be taken to represent benefits of SMU on wellbeing. It's well established that SMU is positively linked to depressive symptoms in adolescence (Barthorpe et al., 2020; Boers et al., 2019; Chamaraman et al, 2020; Pantic, 2014)  

The US surgeon general issued an advisory report on ‘profound’ risks of child social media use (SMU) and called for research that explains its’ complexity and impact on mental health. Attaining clarity on factors which indicate whether use of social media will contribute to, or relieve anxiety is essential given increasing anxiety levels in adolescence.

This Australian research will help understand the complexity of the impact of SMU on mental health, and will assist parents and schools understand how to focus education for healthy online behaviours.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2023.2217961

References

Barthorpe, A., Winstone, L., Mars, B., & Moran, P. (2020). Is social media screen time really associated with poor adolescent mental health? A time use diary study. Journal of affective disorders, 274, 864-870. 

Boers E, Afzali MH, Newton N, Conrod P. Association of Screen Time and Depression in Adolescence. JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(9):853–859. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1759 

Charmaraman, L., Sode, O., & Bickham, D. (2020). Adolescent mental health challenges in the digital world. In Technology and Adolescent Health (pp. 283-304). Academic Press. 

Oberst, U., Wegmann, E., Stodt, B., Brand, M., & Chamarro, A. (2017). Negative consequences from heavy social networking in adolescents: The mediating role of fear of missing out. Journal of Adolescence, 55, 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.12.008 

Pantic, I. (2014). Online Social Networking and Mental Health. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, And Social Networking, 17(10), 652-657. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00049530.2021.1898914

Roberts, J. A., & David, M. E. (2019). The social media party: Fear of missing out (FoMO), social media intensity, connection, and well-being. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 35, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2019.1646517 

Smith, D., Leonis, T., & Anandavalli, S. (2021). Belonging and loneliness in cyberspace: Impacts of social media on adolescents’ well-being. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73(1), 12-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1898914 

Disclaimer: Published in InPsych on September 2023. The APS aims to ensure that information published in InPsych is current and accurate at the time of publication. Changes after publication may affect the accuracy of this information. Readers are responsible for ascertaining the currency and completeness of information they rely on, which is particularly important for government initiatives, legislation or best-practice principles which are open to amendment. The information provided in InPsych does not replace obtaining appropriate professional and/or legal advice.

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