Fear of missing out (FoMO) in the digital age: implications for academic productivity and sleep quality among Saudi...

Fear of missing out (FoMO) has emerged as an important psychological concern among university students, associated with excessive social media engagement and linked to academic and sleep-related outcomes. However, evidence from Middle Eastern populations remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationships among FoMO, problematic social media use, academic productivity, and sleep quality among university students in Saudi Arabia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Saudi Arabia using a self-administered online questionnaire. FoMO was assessed using an adapted FoMO scale, problematic social media use using validated social media addiction items, academic productivity using validated academic behavior items, and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed.

A total of 1,071 participants were included. FoMO was positively correlated with problematic social media use (r = 0.55, p < 0.01) and poorer sleep quality (r = 0.25, p < 0.01). Problematic social media use was negatively associated with academic productivity (r = -0.11, p < 0.01) and positively associated with poorer sleep quality (r = 0.20, p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed that problematic social media use was negatively associated with academic productivity (β = -0.17, p < 0.001), while FoMO (β = 0.19, p < 0.001) and problematic social media use (β = 0.11, p = 0.002) were positively associated with poorer sleep quality.

FoMO was associated with problematic social media use and poorer sleep quality, while problematic social media use was negatively associated with academic productivity among university students. These findings highlight the importance of promoting healthy digital behaviors to support student well-being and academic outcomes.