The inner logic of digital anxiety: a Self-Determination Theory perspective on the motivational transformation of Fear of Missing Out

Introduction: Social media addiction among university students has been increasingly associated with psychological vulnerabilities, particularly Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), this study examines the associations between autonomous motivation, social media competence, social support, FoMO, and social media addiction, and investigates the moderating role of prosocial orientation. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 422 university students in Taiwan. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the hypothesized associations among autonomous motivation, competence, social support, FoMO, and social media addiction. A moderation analysis was conducted to test the interaction effect of prosocial orientation. Results: Autonomous motivation, social media competence, and social support were significantly negatively associated with FoMO. FoMO was significantly positively associated with social media addiction. In addition, prosocial orientation significantly moderated the relationship between FoMO and social media addiction, such that the positive association was stronger among individuals with higher levels of prosocial orientation. Discussion: The findings highlight the psychological associations between motivational resources, FoMO, and addictive social media behaviors. By integrating SDT and SEL perspectives, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of digital anxiety and underscores the context-dependent role of prosocial orientation in digitally mediated social interactions.