THE IMPACT OF FOMO, SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, AND SELF-ESTEEM ON DECISION-MAKING STYLES OF YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

The expanding popularity of social media had a substantial effect on the psychological and behavioral qualities of young adults. This study reported the relation between the decision-making styles, social media use, self-esteem, and FOMO in young people, and the predictive interrelationship among these variables. Standardized questionnaires evaluating FOMO, social media use, self-esteem, and decision-making styles, including rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant, and spontaneous, were completed by 150 participants of educational institutions. All scales used in this study demonstrated acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s α > .70). Multiple regression and Pearson correlation were used to examine the hypotheses. The outcomes indicated that while FOMO positively impacted social media involvement, social media participation positively predicted self-esteem. Self-esteem was a strong predictor of rational and intuitive, a moderate predictor of dependent, and a negative predictor of avoidant and spontaneous styles of decision making. Rational, intuitive, and dependent styles of decision-making appeared to be most strongly predicted by self-esteem; avoidant decision-making was best determined by social media use; and FOMO best identified spontaneous decision-making. These findings identified the importance of self-esteem in adaptive decision-making styles and also the impacts of FOMO and social media engagement on behavioral and cognitive patterns of young adults. By integrating a unique combination of variables, this study provides a framework that can inform future research on the development of targeted mental health interventions aimed at enhancing self-esteem and informed decision-making among young people.