The Brief Social Media Fatigue Scale (BSMFS): A New Short Version Through Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling and Associations with Trait Anxiety, Fear of Missing Out, Boredom Proneness, and Problematic Use

This study examines the psychological impact of social media use through the psychometric validation of the Social Media Fatigue Scale (SMFS). Using a sample of 329 Italian social media users, the dimensionality of the scale was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis, subsequently corroborated by comparing Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM). The refined brief scale comprised three factors within the ESEM framework (RMSEA = .046, p = .54; CFI = .984; TLI = .967, and SRMR = .033) and showed good reliability (ωF1=.75; ωF2=.89; ωF3=.73). The research further explores the associations between social media fatigue (SMF) and trait anxiety through path analyses, examining the mediating role of the fear of missing out (FoMO) and the influence of boredom proneness on SMF, with problematic social media use serving as a moderator. The results, supporting the hypothesized roles of FoMO and problematic social media use, are discussed in relation to the relevant literature.