Social Media Addiction, Fear of Missing Out, Body Image Concerns and Self-Esteem in Adults

Saleem Gul; Hassan Imran; Maidah Arshad; Kiran Shahzadi; Alishba Ishfaq; Shamsa Batool

doi:10.63056/ACAD.004.04.1137

Authors

Saleem Gul Assistant Professor of Psychology, Head of Psychology Department, Govt. Associate College for Boys Bedian Road Lahore Author
Hassan Imran Clinical Psychologist, SkinDot Clinics PWD Branch, Islamabad & PhD Scholar, Department of Psychology, Riphah International University, Faisalabad Campus Author
Maidah Arshad MS Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore Author
Kiran Shahzadi MS clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, National University of Medical Sciences Rawalpindi, Pakistan Author
Alishba Ishfaq MS clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology Lahore Garrison University Author
Shamsa Batool MS Clinical Psychology, Forman Christian College A Chartered University, HOD & Clinical Psychologist Al -Razi Institute Lahore Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63056/ACAD.004.04.1137

Keywords:

Social Media Addiction, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), Body Image Concerns, Self-Esteem and Emerging Adults

Abstract

The present study investigates the relationships among social media addiction, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), body image concerns, and self-esteem in emerging adults. With the increasing prevalence of social media use, concerns have been raised regarding its psychological impact, particularly on young adults who are navigating identity development and social comparison. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected from 300 emerging adults aged 18–25 years using standardized self-report measures, including the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOS), Body Image Concern Scale (BICS), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analyses, and mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS and PROCESS Macro. Results indicated that social media addiction is positively associated with FoMO (r = 0.62, p < 0.01) and body image concerns (r = 0.54, p < 0.01), while it is negatively associated with self-esteem (r = -0.46, p < 0.01). FoMO partially mediates the relationship between social media addiction and body image concerns, suggesting that individuals with higher addictive engagement experience greater anxiety about missing out, which in turn heightens body dissatisfaction. Furthermore, body image concerns emerged as the strongest predictor of self-esteem, highlighting the critical role of appearance-related concerns in determining self-worth among emerging adults. These findings underscore the importance of developing targeted interventions to promote healthier social media engagement, reduce FoMO, and enhance self-esteem. Implications for mental health practitioners, educators, and future research are discussed.