Fear of Missing Out, Depression, and Problematic Smartphone Use in Canadian Adolescents: A Developmental Cascade Model

INTRODUCTION: Although research has established a link between adolescents' problematic smartphone use and mental health, the nuances and directionality of this relationship remain unclear. This study offers a longitudinal analysis of the relationship between problematic smartphone use, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), and depression in Canadian adolescents. METHODS: The participants included 1,298 students from Southern British Columbia, Canada (Mage = 14.56 years, SD = 1.15; 47% girls). Adolescents self-reported their problematic smartphone use, FoMO, and internalizing problems over 3 years, starting from Time 1 (October-December 2020) to examine the cross-lagged model linking problematic smartphone use, FOMO, and depression. RESULTS: Results showed that after controlled for age, adolescents with higher levels of problematic smartphone use (at Time 1 and Time 2) tended to have higher levels of later depression (at Time 2 and Time 3). Moreover, adolescents with higher levels of problematic smartphone use at Time 1 also tended to show higher levels of FoMO at Time 2 and this, in turn, contributed to higher levels of depression at Time 3. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a unidirectional relationship where problematic smartphone use predicts later depression, both directly and indirectly through increased FoMO. This highlights the importance of addressing smartphone use behaviors to mitigate the risk of depression in adolescents.