College students’ loneliness and problematic mobile phone use: Mediation by fear of missing out

Qishan ZHENG, Sisi LIU, Jianhong ZHENG, Maojin GU, Wuming HE

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between loneliness and problematic mobile phone use among university students, as well as the mediating role of fear of missing out in that relationship. College undergraduates (n = 233; female = 51.1%; first-year students = 12.9%; mean age = 22.50 years, SD =1.70 years) from several Chinese provinces completed the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, The shortened Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale, and the Fear of Missing Out Scale. Statistical analysis confirmed the positive correlation among loneliness, problematic mobile phone use, and fear of missing out. Following multiple regression analysis, results showed that demographic variables including age, sex, and place of hometown did not predict problematic mobile phone use. These findings suggest that the fear of missing out has a significant influence on how college students manage their loneliness and problematic mobile phone use. Copyright © 2023 Africa Scholarship Development Enterprize.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)115-121
JournalJournal of Psychology in Africa
Volume33
Issue number2
Early online dateMay 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Citation

Zheng, Q., Liu, S., Zheng, J., Gu, M., & He, W. (2023). College students’ loneliness and problematic mobile phone use: Mediation by fear of missing out. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 33(2), 115-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2023.2182033

Keywords

  • Fear of missing out
  • Loneliness
  • Problematic mobile phone use
  • Mediating role
  • Psychological well-being
  • University students

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'College students’ loneliness and problematic mobile phone use: Mediation by fear of missing out'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.