The phubbing phenomenon: a cross-sectional study on the relationships among social media addiction, fear of missing out, personality traits, and phubbing behavior

FoMO and Socio-Emotional e-Competencies as Predictors of Media Multitasking, Phubbing and Cybergossip in University Students: Transnational Differences Between Mexico and Spain by Gender

There are clear signs of the growing use of the internet across all cultures, which generate new behaviors in the virtual environment such as media multitasking, phubbing, and cybergossip, all associated with online risks and less positive modes of socialization. FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) along with virtual emotional experiences could be relevant predictors, where literature suggests that FoMO is a trigger for problematic social media use, and socio-emotional e-competencies facilitate adaptive behaviors in virtual environments. Hence, understanding which variables predict these phenomena is crucial and whether they can be generalized across different countries. The objective of this study is to analyze whether two dimensions of socio-personal development used to interact in virtual environments, FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) and socio-emotional e-competencies (e-COM), are predictors of different cyberbehaviors (cybergossip, phubbing and media multitasking) in university students from two different countries. It also aims to verify if socio-emotional e-competencies act as a moderator of this relationship. In order to achieve this, we used a sample of 1524 university students from Mexico and Spain (19.74 years old). The results of the path analysis models show that FoMO is the strongest predictor of the three online behaviors regardless of country and gender, especially in the case of phubbing. In addition, socio-emotional e-competencies help to explain the behaviors in a differential way for each country, and the dimension of e-self-control of impulsivity plays a moderating role in FoMO in the case of phubbing and media multitasking. Some differences between countries and genders are discussed.

Partner phubbing and relational aggression in romantic relationships among young adults in China: the roles of social support and gender

Introduction

Phubbing may have significant interpersonal consequences. This study examines the association between partner phubbing and relational aggression, the mediation effect of social support, and the moderation effect of gender among young Chinese adults.

Method

A total of 772 young adults currently in a romantic relationship participated in an online survey that assessed their partner phubbing, relational aggression, and social support (i.e., ideal support, actual support, and discrepancy between ideal and actual support).

Results

The results show that partner phubbing was positively and significantly correlated with relational aggression for males and females, respectively. Actual support and support discrepancy partially mediated the relationship between partner phubbing and relational aggression among all participants. Regarding gender difference, actual support and support discrepancy partially mediated the relationship between partner phubbing and relational aggression in females but were not significant mediators for males.

Discussion

These findings suggest that partner phubbing had a significant effect on relational aggression in romantic relationships for both male and female participants. Social support may play a significant role between partner phubbing and relational aggression in females only. Tailored interventions for partner phubbing to prevent negative interpersonal consequences are warranted.

The relationship between chronotype characteristics and fear of missing out, phubbing, sleep quality and social jetlag in medical students

Chronotype is the temporal behavior of an organism. Social jetlag, fear of missing out (FoMO), and phubbing have received increasing attention recently and are closely related to sleep quality. This study aimed to explore the relationship between chronotype and these factors and their effects on sleep quality among medical students. The FoMO scale, phubbing behavior assessment scale, morning-evening questionnaire, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, social jetlag questionnaire, and online sociodemographic data form were filled out by 537 students participating in the study. The average age of participants was 21.34 ± 1.38 years; 43.2% were male, and 56.8% were female. The majority (66.7%) had an intermediate chronotype, 20.9% an evening type, and 12.5% a morning type. Evening chronotypes exhibited the highest levels of social jetlag, daily internet/phone use, and the poorest sleep quality and daily functioning. Women reported significantly higher levels of FoMO (p < 0.001), phubbing (p = 0.020), and daytime dysfunction (p = 0.005). Multiple regression analysis showed poor sleep quality was associated with high FoMO, high phubbing, high levels of social jetlag, and evening chronotype. Additionally, daytime dysfunction was associated with female gender, poor sleep quality, high FoMO, and high levels of phubbing (p < 0.001, F = 16.128, R2 = 0.221). These results suggest that individuals with an evening type may be susceptible to social interaction, social media use, and sleep patterns, which may negatively affect sleep quality. It has also been determined that females may be at greater risk for FoMO and phubbing. Evaluation of individuals' chronotypes will be an essential step in treating behavioral addictions such as social media, screen, and smartphone addiction.

Association of Phubbing Behavior and Fear of Missing Out: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Phubbing, a pervasive social behavior linked to smartphone usage, involves users neglecting their conversation partners to engage with their phones. Despite consistent exploration of its association with the concept of fear of missing out (FOMO), findings in the existing literature exhibit notable inconsistency. To address this gap, this study employs a systematic review and meta-analysis to scrutinize the intricate relationship between phubbing behavior and FOMO. A comprehensive systematic review, spanning up to December 10, 2023, encompassed databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The resulting dataset comprised 27 eligible studies, incorporating insights from 20,415 participants across 15 countries. Rigorous evaluation of study quality was executed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale, while statistical analyses were meticulously conducted using R Studio. Revealing a robust positive association, phubbing behavior was significantly linked to FOMO (effect size[ES] = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.49, I2: 97.5%, τ2: 0.05). Correcting for detected publication bias using the Trim and Fill method, an additional 16 studies were included, fortifying the robustness of the findings. Moderation analysis uncovered significant influences of location (p < 0.01), income level (p < 0.01), sampling method (p < 0.01), phubbing scale (p < 0.01), and FOMO scale and type (p < 0.01) on the estimated relationship. Univariate meta-regression highlighted the substantial impact of sample size (R2 = 11.81%, p < 0.01), while multivariate meta-regression illuminated the combined effects of publication year, study quality score, sample size, mean age, and female proportion on the estimated relationship (k = 19, R2 = 52.85%, I2 = 93.78%, p < 0.05). Furthermore, post hoc influential analysis, conducted through the leave-one-out method, offered additional depth to the examination.

The influence of physical activity on internet addiction among Chinese college students: the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of gender

OBJECTIVES

The significance of self-esteem in the relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction among college students cannot be over, as it lays a solid foundation for the prevention and control of Internet addiction.

METHODS

A total of 950 college students were surveyed using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Chinese Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R) through a cluster random sampling method. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, partial correlation analysis, mediation effect, moderation effect, and Bootstrap testing were conducted on the collected data to analyze and interpret the results.

RESULTS

(1) Significant gender differences were found in the amount of physical activity and the degree of Internet addiction among college students(P&& lt;0.001); (2) Physical activity was significantly and positively correlated with self-esteem (r = 0.26, P < 0.001), but significantly and negatively correlated with Internet addiction (r=-0.23, P < 0.001); Meanwhile, self-esteem and Internet addiction were significantly and negatively related to self-esteem (r=-0.22, P < 0.001). (3) Mediating effect analyses showed that self-esteem played a partial mediating role in physical activity and Internet addiction among college students, accounting for a portion of 78.95%. (4) A moderating effect of gender on the relationship between physical activity and Internet addiction was discovered.

CONCLUSION

The physical activity level of male students is significantly higher than that of female students, while the degree of internet addiction among female students is notably higher than that of male students. Physical activity can not only directly improve the issue of internet addiction among college students, but also indirectly improve it through self-esteem, with gender playing a moderating role in this process. This conclusion has practical reference significance for preventing and controlling internet addiction among college students, and provides evidence support for using physical activity as a reference solution in clinical applications. Additionally, it suggests that gender should be taken into account when preventing and intervening in internet addiction among college students, and different strategies and methods should be adopted for male and female students. Male students should be encouraged to participate more in physical activities, gradually increasing the frequency, duration, and intensity of their participation, in order to divert their attention and enhance their sense of achievement in sports, thereby reducing their use of mobile phones. For female students, on the other hand, it is important to strengthen real-life communication, change the form of sports participation, engage in group, collaborative, and different situational sports activities, and enhance their focus and attention in sports, in order to reduce their internet dependency, better guide them to use the internet reasonably, and enable them to achieve emotional release through sports.

How social media usage affects psychological and subjective well-being: testing a moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

A growing body of literature demonstrates that social media usage has witnessed a rapid increase in higher education and is almost ubiquitous among young people. The underlying mechanisms as to how social media usage by university students affects their well-being are unclear. Moreover, current research has produced conflicting evidence concerning the potential effects of social media on individuals' overall well-being with some reporting negative outcomes while others revealing beneficial results.

METHODS

To address the research gap, the present research made an attempt to investigate the crucial role of social media in affecting students' psychological (PWB) and subjective well-being (SWB) by testing the mediating role of self-esteem and online social support and the moderation effect of cyberbullying. The data in the study were obtained from a sample of 1,004 college students (483 females and 521 males, Mage = 23.78, SD = 4.06) enrolled at 135 Chinese universities. AMOS 26.0 and SPSS 26.0 as well as the Process macro were utilized for analyzing data and testing the moderated mediation model.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that social media usage by university students was positively associated with their PWB and SWB through self-esteem and online social support, and cyberbullying played a moderating role in the first phase of the mediation process such that the indirect associations were weak with cyberbullying reaching high levels.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the importance of discerning the mechanisms moderating the mediated paths linking social media usage by young adults to their PWB and SWB. The results also underline the importance of implementing measures and interventions to alleviate the detrimental impacts of cyberbullying on young adults' PWB and SWB.

Mediating and moderating effects of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between social media addiction and phubbing

Presently, social media is widely used worldwide among different populations. Therefore, phubbing rapidly became a popular phenomenon in our daily life. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism and interaction between social media use and phubbing. Therefore, this research examines the mediating and moderating role of cognitive flexibility in the association between social media addiction and phubbing. Participants were 385 university students (280 females) studying at a state university in eastern Turkey and completed the self-reported measures of cognitive flexibility, social media addiction, and phubbing. The results showed that cognitive flexibility mediated and moderated the effect of social media addiction on phubbing. These findings may contribute to the discussion around the psychological consequences of using social media alongside increasing awareness about factors affecting and explaining the association between social media use and phubbing, which have important implications for research and practice.

Internet Addiction, Phubbing, Psychological Variables and Self-Perception of Mathematical Competence in College Students

Internet Addiction (IA) and phubbing are prevalent, disruptive behaviours among university students. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between IA and Phubbing with psychological variables (impulsiveness, self-esteem, and psychological distress), academic performance and self-perception of mathematical competence (SMC), as well as possible gender differences. Results showed (n = 715; Mean Age = 21.7) gender differences in lack of planning, emotional investment and somatisation and IA correlated positively with app addiction, mobile addiction, and psychopathology. A total of 26.3% of IA can be explained by a lack of self-control, time and performance management, mobile phone addiction, anxiety and psychological distress. Finally, 71% of students believe that the use of new technologies has worsened their SMC and this is correlated with impaired communication, obsession with mobile phones, IA (Total Phubbing Scale) and impulsiveness. Our results indicate the importance of taking into account psychological variables that affect the development of IA, phubbing, and SMC in the university population.