From attachment insecurity to problematic social network site use: The mediating roles of fear of missing out and lower psychological need satisfaction

The rapid growth of social networking sites (SNSs) has raised concerns about problematic social networking site use (PSNSU). This study aimed to explore the underlying psychological mechanisms of PSNSU from an attachment perspective. Individuals with insecure attachment may turn to SNSs to compensate for unmet psychological needs and to alleviate the fear of missing out (FoMO). Specifically, unmet needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness may intensify FoMO, thereby increasing the risk of PSNSU. Based on this framework, we proposed that unmet competence needs and FoMO would sequentially mediate the relationship between insecure attachment and PSNSU. A cross-sectional survey of 577 Taiwanese participants (M = 23.55, SD = 6.42) was conducted to assess attachment styles, psychological need satisfaction, FoMO, and PSNSU. The results revealed that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were positively associated with PSNSU. Mediation analyses showed that FoMO mediated the association between insecure attachment and PSNSU, while competence need satisfaction specifically mediated the link between attachment avoidance and PSNSU. Additionally, a serial mediation effect was identified, showing that insecure attachment predicted PSNSU through lower relatedness need satisfaction and higher FoMO. These findings suggest that insecure attachment contributes to PSNSU through the pathway of unmet psychological needs, with FoMO and competence satisfaction serving as critical mediators. Interventions that address the fulfillment of core psychological needs may be key to reducing PSNSU.