Fear of Missing Out (on myself?) An empirical study of Narcissism in relation to Problematic Facebook Use

Abstract

Online social networking sites have grown in popularity and have changed the ways in which people communicate. Among these sites, Facebook remains the undisputed leader. However, research indicates it may be excessively used by some vulnerable users. The concept of Problematic Facebook Use (PFU) refers to a pattern of online behaviour that interferes with multiple domains in one’s life, such as work, study, and relationships. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether certain personality factors, specifically the two subtypes of narcissism (grandiose and vulnerable) may be positively related to PFU. In addition, cognitive and social constructs such as the Big Five personality traits, Fear of Missing Out (FoMo) and mood symptoms were examined. A convenience sample of 476 participants aged between 18 and 57 years (M = 23.60, SD = 7.04) were recruited from the University of Adelaide first-year psychology pool and through Facebook advertising. Participants completed an online questionnaire that measured PFU and various personality variables. Quantitative analysis involved an independent samples t-test, Spearman’s correlations, and a hierarchical multiple regression. Results produced two main findings. First, females reported significantly higher PFU and more frequent online social behaviour than males. Second, contrary to predictions, FoMo was a stronger predictor of PFU than narcissism variables. The results of the present study contribute to current understandings of the association between personality factors and PFU, highlighting that narcissism and FoMo may be useful explanatory concepts for persistent social media use and relevant mechanisms to target in interventions to prevent or reduce PFU.