Within-person associations between fear of missing out and cyberbullying victimization: An ecological momentary assessment study

Abstract

Several psychological factors (e.g., personality, mental health, and behavioral problems) have been linked to cyberbullying victimization. However, relatively little research has examined fear of missing out (FoMO) in relation to cyberbullying victimization. Existing studies have largely relied on cross-sectional designs focusing on between-person differences, providing limited insight into how this association unfolds within individuals in daily life. To address this gap, the present study employed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design with four prompts per day to examine their momentary association in community adults ( N = 301). Dynamic structural equation modeling indicated that momentary increases in FoMO were associated with higher cyberbullying victimization both within the same session and at the subsequent session, suggesting a short-term temporal association. Taken together, these findings highlight FoMO as a relevant psychological correlate of cyberbullying victimization and provide insight into how momentary experiences reflecting the desire to remain continually connected are associated with online risk experiences in everyday digital environments.