ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Mindfulness
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1641462
This article is part of the Research TopicApplications of Mindfulness in Media and Communication StudiesView all 18 articles
Mindfulness in Social Media Exposure: The Pressure-Reducing Valve for Fear of Missing Out and Social Media Fatigue
Provisionally accepted
- Southwest University of Political Science & Law, Chongqing, China
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In the past decade, the fear of missing out (FoMO) has gained widespread attention as a prominent manifestation of the negative effects of social media. However, research on the causes, significance, and targeted methods for mitigating FoMO remains incomplete. To address this issue, this study developed an integrated model that incorporates social media exposure, perceived value, mindfulness, FoMO, and social media fatigue. Using the partial least squares (PLS) method, this study conducted an empirical analysis of 406 Chinese social media users. Findings indicate that perceived value functions as an important antecedent of FoMO. Moreover, FoMO is not merely a conspicuous negative effect of social media exposure; it is also a key contributor to social media fatigue. Additionally, the negative associations of mindfulness with FoMO and social media fatigue underscore its effectiveness in alleviating both conditions. Theoretically, this study demonstrates the pivotal mediating role of FoMO in the negative impacts of social media and highlights mindfulness as a promising protective factor within digital contexts. Practically, the results position mindfulness as a valuable resource for mitigating the adverse impacts of social media and fostering sustainable digital engagement.
Keywords: mindfulness, Social media exposure, perceived value, Fear of missing out, Social media fatigue
Received: 05 Jun 2025; Accepted: 22 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Huang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaoxiao Huang, Southwest University of Political Science & Law, Chongqing, China
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