Emotional Intelligence and Social Media Use: Dissociative Experiences and Fear of Missing Out as Mediators

The increasing prevalence of social media usage has sparked a growing interest in understanding the factors contributing to problematic social media use (PSMU). This study explores this phenomenon through the lens of the Interaction Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model. Specifically, it investigates whether the fear of missing out (FoMO) and dissociative experiences (DE) serve as sequential mediators in the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and PSMU, and whether the proposed model remains consistent across genders. The study involved 1216 adolescents in Italy (comprising 608 girls) aged between 14 and 17 years (M = 15.43, SD = 0.86). Participants completed several self-report assessments: the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF), Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs), Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES), and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). A Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was conducted to account for the influence of background variables. Subsequently, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with latent variables was employed to evaluate the mediation model. Finally, a Multiple-Group Path Analysis (MGPA) was conducted to assess the invariance of the mediation pattern across genders. Gender and parental educational level were controlled 0.05), SRMR = 0.02. All direct and indirect paths were statistically significant (p < .001): from trait EI to FoMO - - - - -.29); - The results of our study support the I-PACE framework, suggesting that trait EI may play a preventive role in mitigating PSMU by reducing the likelihood of experiencing FoMO and DE. Therefore, interventions aimed at enhancing emotional intelligence could be effective in minimizing the adverse consequences associated with PSMU. Additionally, addressing issues related to FoMO and DE and promoting the adoption of adaptive coping strategies may be valuable in fostering healthier patterns of social media usage.