Which Symptoms of Nomophobia, Social Networking Site Addiction, and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Directly Affect Mental Health? A Symptom Network and Flow Analysis Study

TL;DR

This study explores how symptoms of nomophobia, social media addiction, and FoMO are linked to anxiety and depression in college students.

Contribution

The study introduces network and flow analysis to reveal symptom-level connections between digital-age behaviors and mental health outcomes.

Findings

FoMO on information is the central symptom linking nomophobia and SNS addiction.

FoMO on information is the strongest predictor of anxiety and depression.

Symptoms like fear of losing internet connection and SNS-related insomnia also significantly relate to mental health outcomes.

Abstract

Nomophobia, social networking site (SNS) addiction, and fear of missing out (FoMO) are increasingly recognized as interrelated digital‐age phenomena that pose risks to young people's mental health. However, limited research has examined how specific symptoms across these domains interact and contribute to anxiety and depression. This study aims to make a novel contribution by applying network and flow analysis to uncover the symptom‐level interconnections among nomophobia, SNS addiction, FoMO, and their links to mental health outcomes. A total of 3108 college students completed validated scales measuring SNS addiction, FoMO, nomophobia, anxiety, and depression. Gaussian graphical models and centrality indices were used to estimate symptom networks. Flow networks were constructed to identify pathways connecting symptoms to mental health outcomes. Strong intranetwork associations were found within all three domains. “FoMO on information” emerged as the most central and influential bridge symptom, connecting nomophobia and SNS addiction. Flow network analysis revealed that “FoMO on information” was also the strongest individual predictor of both anxiety and depression. Other symptoms, such as “fear of losing internet connection” and “SNS‐related insomnia,” also showed notable associations with mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the potential of network and flow analysis to identify transdiagnostic mechanisms across digital behavioral addictions. “FoMO on information” appears to be a key symptom linking nomophobia and SNS addiction and may represent a promising target for interventions aimed at reducing comorbid anxiety and depression among adolescents.

Figures