Social Media Fatigue, Fear of Missing Out, and Psychological Well-Being Among College Students

Abstract

Social media has become an integral part of the academic, social, and personal lives of college students. Although social networking platforms provide opportunities for communication, entertainment, information sharing, and social connection, excessive and continuous engagement may also result in information overload, social comparison, fear of missing out (FoMO), and social media fatigue. Social media fatigue refers to feelings of exhaustion, frustration, disinterest, and withdrawal arising from prolonged or overwhelming social media engagement. The present study proposes to examine the relationship between social media fatigue, fear of missing out, and psychological well-being among college students. A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational research design is proposed. College students aged 18–25 years will be selected using an appropriate sampling technique. Standardized measures of social media fatigue, fear of missing out, and psychological well-being will be administered. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analysis may be used to examine the proposed relationships. The study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the psychological consequences of excessive social media engagement and provide implications for digital well-being programmes in higher education.