Social Media Fatigue and Psychological Wellbeing: The Roles of Compulsive Use, Fear of Missing Out, Anxiety and Depression

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among compulsive social media use, fear of missing out, social media fatigue, anxiety, and depression among college students in Bengaluru. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered across 15 colleges. Of 1,045 questionnaires distributed, 845 completed responses were received, and 616 valid responses were retained for the final analysis. The questionnaire used a five-point Likert scale and adapted established measures of compulsive social media use, fear of missing out, social media fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Data were analysed using SPSS and AMOS. Reliability and validity were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted, confirmatory factor analysis, and discriminant validity testing. The measurement model demonstrated an acceptable fit, with CMIN/DF = 2.604, SRMR = 0.047, RMSEA = 0.034, GFI = 0.901, NFI = 0.935, IFI = 0.974, CFI = 0.973 and TLI = 0.937. Structural equation modelling indicated that compulsive social media use and fear of missing out were positively associated with social media fatigue. Social media fatigue was positively associated with anxiety and depression. Bootstrapping results suggested that social media fatigue mediated the relationships between compulsive use and psychological outcomes and between fear of missing out and psychological outcomes. The findings suggest that fatigue may be an important psychological mechanism linking problematic social media engagement to poorer self-reported well-being among college students.