The Relationship Between Fear of Missing Out and Depression Among Tourism Students: A Serial Mediating Roles of Social Media Addiction and Anxiety

There is relatively limited research examining the impact of fear of missing out (FOMO) on increasing social media addiction (SMA) in youth, increasing anxiety, and ultimately leading to depression. The study aimed to examine the cumulative mediating effect of SMA and anxiety between FOMO and depression among university students majoring in tourism. In this context, an online survey was conducted with 395 participants using the convenience sampling method. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and serial mediation analyses were performed in the study. Data analyses were conducted using SPSS 24.0, PROCESS Macro for SPSS v4.0, and AMOS 24.0. The findings revealed the mediating role of SMA and anxiety on the relationship between FOMO and depression. The increased level of FOMO in youths leads to an increase in SMA and anxiety levels, which ultimately leads to an increase in depression. Therefore, the bidirectional relationships of SMA and anxiety should be taken into account in the effect of FOMO on depression in youth.