Phubbing and Loneliness in the Digital Age: A Daily Diary Study on the Mediating Role of Fear of Missing Out

IF 3.2 2区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL

Journal of Adolescence Pub Date : 2026-08-05 Epub Date: 2026-06-09 DOI:10.1002/jad.70191

Qi Dai, Yanyu Xiao, Yuzhuo Liang, Baojuan Ye

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction

Smartphone use is ubiquitous, yet its impact on social behavior remains a concern. As the act of snubbing others in social settings by using a mobile phone, phubbing is often linked to feelings of loneliness and fear of missing out. However, the day-to-day temporal interactions between these variables are not well understood. This study investigated the within-person fluctuations and directional relationships among loneliness, FoMO, and phubbing in daily life.

Methods

A daily diary approach was employed with a sample of 309 middle school students (49% male; M_age = 13.38, SD = 0.87) who participated in a 14-day intensive longitudinal assessment period. Data were analyzed using residual dynamic structural equation modeling (RDSEM) to examine the temporal relationships and mediating effects among the variables at the within-person level.

Results

Phubbing on a given day predicted a subsequent increase in FoMO the next day; conversely, heightened FoMO also predicted increased phubbing behavior the following day. Loneliness on 1 day predicted an increase in both phubbing and FoMO the following day. Furthermore, the analysis revealed a significant day-to-day mediating effect of FoMO in the relationship between phubbing and loneliness.

Conclusions

These findings reveal the within-person dynamics among loneliness, FoMO, and phubbing in daily life, highlighting loneliness as a driver of next-day phubbing and identifying FoMO as a process linking these experiences, with implications for prevention and intervention strategies to improve adolescent digital well-being.

查看原文本刊更多论文

数字时代的低头与孤独：对错过恐惧中介作用的每日日记研究。

智能手机的使用是无处不在的，但它对社会行为的影响仍然是一个问题。低头症是指在社交场合使用手机冷落他人的行为，通常与孤独感和害怕错过联系在一起。然而，这些变量之间的日常时间相互作用还没有得到很好的理解。本研究探讨了日常生活中孤独感、FoMO和低头症之间的个体内部波动及其方向性关系。方法：采用每日日记法对309名中学生进行为期14天的密集纵向评估，其中男生占49%，Mage = 13.38, SD = 0.87。采用残差动态结构方程模型（RDSEM）对数据进行分析，在人体内水平上考察各变量之间的时间关系和中介效应。结果：某一天的低头行为预示着第二天FoMO的增加；相反，FoMO的增强也预示着第二天低头行为的增加。第一天的孤独感预示着第二天低头和社交恐惧症的增加。此外，分析还揭示了FoMO在低头和孤独感之间的日常中介作用。结论：这些发现揭示了日常生活中孤独感、FoMO和低头症之间的内在动态关系，强调了孤独感是第二天低头症的驱动因素，并将FoMO确定为连接这些体验的过程，对改善青少年数字幸福感的预防和干预策略具有重要意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Adolescence PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL-

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

2.60%

发文量

123

期刊介绍： The Journal of Adolescence is an international, broad based, cross-disciplinary journal that addresses issues of professional and academic importance concerning development between puberty and the attainment of adult status within society. It provides a forum for all who are concerned with the nature of adolescence, whether involved in teaching, research, guidance, counseling, treatment, or other services. The aim of the journal is to encourage research and foster good practice through publishing both empirical and clinical studies as well as integrative reviews and theoretical advances.