SOCIAL MEDIA ANCHORING AND OCD-LIKE BEHAVIORS: THE MEDIATING ROLES OF FOMO AND EMOTIONAL DYSREGULATION

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between social media anchoring and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors among emerging adults aged 18 to 26, focusing on the mediating roles of fear of missing out (FoMO) and emotional dysregulation, and examining gender differences.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 250 participants (Mage = 21.2, SD = 2.4; 53% female, 47% male). Participants completed validated instruments: Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS; α = .91) to measure social media anchoring, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory–Revised (OCI-R; α = .89) to assess OCD-like behaviors, Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOS; α = .87) for FoMO, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16; α = .90) to evaluate emotional dysregulation. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test mediation effects, and multi-group SEM analyzed gender differences.

Results: Social media anchoring demonstrated a significant positive association with OCD-like behaviors. Both FoMO and emotional dysregulation mediated this relationship, indicating that higher social media reliance increases compulsive tendencies through cognitive and affective mechanisms. Multi-group analyses revealed that these mediation effects were more pronounced among female participants, suggesting gender moderates the indirect pathways.

Conclusion: The study provides empirical evidence that FoMO and emotional dysregulation are key mechanisms linking social media anchoring to OCD-like behaviors in emerging adults. Findings underscore the importance of designing interventions that address both cognitive concerns, such as FoMO, and emotional regulation skills to reduce compulsive social media behaviors, particularly among females.