Beyond the Likes: Investigating the Role of Social Comparison, Fear of Missing Out, and Depression in the Link between Multidimensional Facebook Use Intensity and Problematic Facebook Use

This study investigated strategies to address problematic Facebook use (PFU) among Korean university students by examining the associations between multidimensional Facebook use intensity, social comparison, fear of missing out (FoMO), depression, and PFU. Data were collected from 423 active Facebook users, mainly undergraduate students, between February 1 and 28, 2023. Participants were voluntarily recruited through student's union. Although overall Facebook use among college-aged students has declined, these participants continued to use the platform for academic announcements, club activities, and student group communications, supporting their relevance as a study sample. Results indicated that higher multidimensional Facebook use intensity was associated with greater PFU. This pattern was observed alongside factors such as lower self-regulation and specific Facebook design features, which were linked to more intensive platform engagement. Mediation analyses suggested that higher Facebook use intensity was associated with increased social comparison, FoMO, and depressive symptoms, each of which correlated with higher PFU. Sequential mediation analysis further indicated that multidimensional Facebook use intensity may be connected to PFU through these psychological factors. These findings point to specific intervention strategies, such as promoting self-regulation skills, providing educational programs that raise awareness of the psychological effects of social comparison and FoMO, and encouraging the use of platform tools to monitor and limit excessive engagement. Such strategies may help university students engage with Facebook more mindfully, potentially reducing the negative psychological consequences of intensive social media use.