Relationship of Problematic Social Media Use, Fear of Missing out, Loneliness and Evening Chronotype with Sleep Quality among Young Adults: A Mediation- moderation Analysis

Abstract

The present study sought to explore the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO) and the moderating role of loneliness in the relationship between problematic social media use (PSMU) and sleep quality. This cross-sectional, correlational study involved a sample of 200 young adults aged 18 to 30 years from a university in Punjab. The data were collected using standardised instruments such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Berger Social Media Addiction Scale, the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOS), the UCLA Loneliness ULS-8, and the Reduced Morningness-Eveningness Scale (rMEQ). Correlational analysis indicated that problematic social media use and evening chronotype are negatively correlated with sleep quality. Mediation analysis was conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro revealed that FoMO significantly mediated the relationship between problematic social media use and sleep quality. Moderation analysis was performed using the Hayes’ PROCESS macro, which indicated that loneliness did not significantly moderate the impact of social media use on sleep.