Fear of missing out and phubbing behavior among undergraduates: Self-control as a mediator, mindfulness as a moderator

• Bin Gao

  School of Education, Shanghai Normal University

• Quansheng Ji

  School of Marxism, Shanghai Normal University

• Tao Zhang

  School of Marxism, Shanghai Normal University

• Yi Xu

  School of Education, Shanghai Normal University

Fear of missing out (FOMO) has been identified as a potential driver of ignoring or snubbing others by focusing on one’s phone during social interactions (phubbing). Drawing on the interaction of person–affect–cognition–execution model, we recruited 536 Chinese undergraduates to investigate the mediating effect of self-control and the moderating effect of mindfulness in the relationship between FOMO and phubbing. Results showed that FOMO was positively linked to phubbing and this association was partially mediated by self-control. Furthermore, mindfulness moderated the link between FOMO and self-control. Our findings also emphasize the significance of undergraduates’ mindfulness as a buffer against the detrimental impact of FOMO on self-control. We suggest effective strategies for addressing phubbing caused by FOMO.

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