Study: 1 In 3 Young Adults Are Heavy Smartphone Users, FOMO Could Be Why

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That nagging feeling, the sense that everyone else is out having fun while you’re stuck scrolling alone, may be doing more damage than most people realize. A new study published in Acta Psychologica found that fear of missing out, or FOMO, combined with lower self-control, was statistically associated with higher rates of problematic smartphone use among young adults and may help explain why some people struggle with their phone habits far more than others.

Researchers found that roughly 35 percent of young adult university students spent more than five hours a day on their devices, primarily for entertainment, news consumption, and non-social browsing rather than keeping in touch with friends and family. That group, which the study labeled “heavy process” users, showed significantly higher levels of problematic smartphone use compared to their peers.

Neuroticism Sets the Stage, but FOMO and Self-Control Drive the Risk

At the heart of the study is a personality trait researchers call neuroticism, essentially a person’s tendency toward emotional instability, anxiety, and stress sensitivity. People high in neuroticism tend to feel negative emotions more intensely and struggle to bounce back from them. Prior research had flagged this trait as a potential vulnerability for addictive behaviors, and this study set out to understand how it relates to problematic smartphone use.

Neuroticism on its own was associated with higher levels of problematic smartphone use. But when FOMO and self-control were factored in, neuroticism’s direct association disappeared entirely. Higher neuroticism was linked to both greater FOMO and weaker self-control, and those two factors carried the relationship forward to problematic use, though because the study captured everything at a single point in time, the direction of those links cannot be confirmed. In practical terms, someone prone to anxiety and emotional volatility may be more likely to feel left out and less able to put the phone down. It appears to be that combination, rather than the emotional instability alone, that most strongly ties back to problematic smartphone habits.

Higher FOMO, Poorer Sleep, and Less Self-Control Define the At-Risk Group

To identify the higher-risk group, researchers surveyed 225 young adult university students between the ages of 18 and 34, using questionnaires that covered everything from personality and sleep quality to how they respond to rewards and the urge to avoid punishment.

Using a statistical grouping method, researchers divided participants into two clusters: a lower-risk group and a higher-risk group. The higher-risk cluster scored higher on neuroticism and FOMO, and lower on self-control. They also reported worse sleep quality, with a higher proportion of poor sleepers compared to the lower-risk cluster, a pattern consistent with prior research linking heavy phone use to disrupted rest.

A distinct motivational profile also set the higher-risk cluster apart. They scored higher on sensitivity to punishment and on the pull toward fun or potentially rewarding new experiences, but lower on drive, a measure linked to persistent pursuit of goals, pointing to a group more reactive to pressure and novelty but less oriented toward sustained, goal-directed effort.

Gender did not appear to play a role, with the male-to-female ratio similar across both risk clusters and all three usage groups.

One in Three Students Qualified as Heavy Process Users

Researchers recruited Hungarian university students between April and July 2024 using a voluntary online survey. After removing incomplete responses, the final sample included 225 participants with an average age of 22.5 years, and about 61 percent were female. Each participant filled out questionnaires covering smartphone habits, personality, self-control, FOMO, and sleep quality.

Participants were grouped into three smartphone-use categories: “pure social” users who stuck primarily to messaging and conversations; “light process” users who mixed social and non-social activities but stayed under five hours a day; and “heavy process” users who exceeded five hours a day with mixed activities. That final group consistently showed the highest levels of problematic use and FOMO alongside the lowest self-control scores.

Targeting FOMO and Self-Control May Be More Effective Than Screen Time Limits

Researchers are careful to note that not all heavy smartphone use is harmful, and that mental health concerns shift along a spectrum rather than appearing at a fixed tipping point. Even so, the study found that emotional instability, FOMO, and self-control difficulties were each associated with higher levels of problematic use, traits that show up well before anyone would label their phone habits a problem.

Building self-control and managing FOMO may be worth exploring as a more targeted approach to reducing harmful smartphone use than simply telling people to use their phones less, the study’s authors suggest. Addressing those underlying psychological factors, rather than screen time itself, could be a more practical path forward. For the roughly one in three young adults spending five-plus hours a day scrolling through content rather than connecting with people, that shift in focus may matter more than any screen time limit.

Disclaimer: Study findings are based on a cross-sectional survey of Hungarian university students and cannot establish cause and effect. Results may not generalize to all populations. If you have concerns about smartphone use and mental health, consider speaking with a qualified healthcare professional.