The Mediating Role of FOMO in the Relationship Between Social Appearance Anxiety and Cyberloafing

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships among social appearance anxiety, the fear of missing out (FOMO), and cyberloafing. The study further investigates the impact of social appearance anxiety and FOMO on cyberloafing. The research model is tested by employing a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach based on data collected from 396 higher education students. The results suggest that social appearance anxiety has a significant impact on FOMO and that FOMO has a significant impact on cyberloafing. However, the mediation analysis results suggest that FOMO full mediates the relationship between social appearance anxiety and cyberloafing.