"فومو" استخدام مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي : دراسة على عينة من الشباب الكويتي

Abstract EN

The present study investigates the effect of Social Media usage on youths’ psychological wellbeing, by drawing on the Social Comparison Theory and FOMO (fear of missing out on opportunities).

Based on a large purposive survey sampling technique of Kuwaiti youths (N=4275), the current survey study investigates how using Social Media and following influencers’ content can affect the youths’ psychologically and socially.

This study adopts a cross-sectional survey methodology, as to test five hypotheses.

Findings indicate that the first hypothesis (i.e.

the rate of using Social Media) has been found to have an impact on the youth’s psychology, and that the second one, i.e., that the variable of psychology affects that of FOMO holds true.

A strong statistical correlation has proved that the worse the psychological state, the more intensified FOMO feelings.

In verifying the third hypothesis, the variable ‘the rate of following up with influencers via Social Media’, has been found to affect the social comparison variable, i.e., the higher the number of influencers’ followers in Social Media, the higher the number of those who draw social comparison among the youth.

The fourth hypothesis has been accepted in that there is a statistical correlation between the variable ‘the rate of following up with influencers via Social Media’ and the FOMO, and so the study has validated such a hypothesis that the former variable affects the latter.

It turned out that the higher the rate of using Social Media by the youth, the more heightened FOMO feeling.

The study wraps up by recommending conducting further studies that focus on the psychological and social impact of using Social Media on youths.

The study also recommends conducting further research that aims at exploring the effects of FOMO and social comparison on youths and other groups and at educating young people about the dangers and negative consequences of the extensive use of Social Media through media education and reach-out campaigns.