Media Exposure and Perfectionism: The Mediating Role of Fear of Missing Out
Keywords:
Social media exposure, fear of missing out, perfectionismAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO) in the relationship between social media exposure and perfectionism among Romanian university students.
Methods and Materials: A descriptive correlational design was used, and the sample consisted of 380 university students in Romania, selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie table through multi-stage cluster sampling. Participants completed three standardized instruments: the Social Media Use Integration Scale (SMUIS), the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs), and the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 for descriptive and Pearson correlation analyses and AMOS-21 for Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess direct and indirect relationships among variables. Model fit was evaluated using χ²/df, GFI, AGFI, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA indices.
Findings: The results indicated significant positive correlations between social media exposure and FoMO (r = 0.51, p < 0.001), FoMO and perfectionism (r = 0.48, p < 0.001), and social media exposure and perfectionism (r = 0.43, p < 0.001). SEM revealed that FoMO significantly mediated the relationship between social media exposure and perfectionism (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), with a total effect of β = 0.47 (p < 0.001). The model demonstrated excellent fit: χ²/df = 2.07, GFI = 0.94, AGFI = 0.91, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.95, and RMSEA = 0.053.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that fear of missing out plays a significant mediating role in linking social media exposure to increased perfectionistic tendencies in young adults. Interventions targeting FoMO may be effective in reducing perfectionism exacerbated by social media engagement.
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