Understanding Problematic Social Media Use: Insights Into Telepressure, FMO, Engagement, and Motives

Abstract

The objective of this investigation is to assess the impact of telepressure, fear of missing out, social media engagement, and social media use motives on problematic social media use through the examination of a proposed model, while also scrutinizing the moderating effects of individual differences on the interrelations between these constructs. Utilizing online data collection methods, responses were gathered from a sample comprising 14,153 social media users. Analysis was conducted employing the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique alongside multi-group analysis. Findings indicate that the model accounts for 73.2% of problematic social media use variance. Notably, fear of missing out, telepressure, and the motive of image presentation emerged as the most influential constructs pertaining to problematic social media use. Furthermore, nearly all hypotheses related to social media use motives garnered support. In terms of moderators, gender demonstrated significant moderation effects in eight relationships, while age and usage exhibited moderation effects in six and three relationships, respectively. These outcomes underscore the potential pivotal role of social media motives and individual differences. This study contributes valuable knowledge to the growing body of literature and informs interventions targeting problematic social media use. © The Author(s) 2025