Distraction or motivation? Unraveling the role of fear of missing out on college students’ learning engagement

BACKGROUND: Despite the recognition of the impact of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on learning engagement, research conclusions remain inconsistent. This inconsistency may be due to a lack of exploration of the underlying mechanisms and the singularity of research perspectives. METHODS: Drawing from motivational dynamics model for learning engagement, this study investigated the relationship between FoMO and learning engagement from both variable-centered and person-centered perspectives, and further explored the mediating role of self-control. A total of 1,510 college students from eastern China were selected via an online platform, including 642 males and 868 females. RESULTS: The results from the variable-centered analysis indicated that FoMO had a significant positive direct effect on learning engagement (effect = 0.293, 95% CI = [0.185, 0.401]). FoMO negatively predicted self-control, which in turn had a negative impact on learning engagement (effect = -0.375, 95% CI = [-0.456, -0.295]). This suggests that self-control acts as a masking effect between FoMO and learning engagement. The person-centered results suggest the presence of four latent profiles of FoMO: the low trait-FoMO low state-FoMO group, the high trait-FoMO low state-FoMO group, the low trait-FoMO high state-FoMO group, and the high trait-FoMO high state-FoMO group. Specifically, compared to the low trait-FoMO low state-FoMO group, self-control acts as a masking role between the low trait-FoMO high state-FoMO group, the high trait-FoMO high state-FoMO group and learning engagement. CONCLUSIONS: FoMO exhibits a "dual-edged sword effect". Educators should adopt diverse instructional methods to leverage the positive aspects of FoMO while guiding students in self-control training to mitigate its negative effects to enhance college students' learning engagement.