The relationship between problematic smartphone use and fear of missing out: a meta-analysis

  • Sergio Hidalgo-Fuentes Universidad de Valencia
Keywords: problematic smartphone use, smartphone addiction, fear of missing out, meta-analysis

Abstract

Problematic smartphone use has become a global problem with wide repercussions in mental health. The objective of this meta-analysis is to examine the relationship between problematic smartphone use and fear of missing out. A bibliographic search was carried out using the PsycInfo, Web of Science and PubMed databases, recovering a total of 32 articles that met the inclusion criteria with a total sample of 26077 participants. The effect size obtained using a random effects model is significant and positive (Zr = 0.47). The meta-regression analysis showed that sex and age are not statistically significative moderating variables. No evidence of publication bias was obtained. Those subjects who show higher scores of problematic smartphone use also have higher levels of fear of missing out. The limitations of the work are presented and their implications are discussed. The need to continue investigating the relationship between the two variables, especially through longitudinal studies is indicated.

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Author Biography

Sergio Hidalgo-Fuentes, Universidad de Valencia

Profesor Asociado en la Universidad de Valencia. Doctor en Psicología por la Universidad de Valencia en el año 2016 y Máster de Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento y la Salud por la UNED en el año 2022. Sus principales intereses de investigación están relacionados con las adicciones y usos problemáticos de las nuevas tecnologías, los factores emocionales y de personalidad asociados al ajuste escolar y la aplicación de técnicas meta-analíticas.

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Published
2023-06-01
How to Cite
Hidalgo-Fuentes, S. (2023). The relationship between problematic smartphone use and fear of missing out: a meta-analysis. Psicodebate, 23(1), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.18682/pd.v23i1.5754