Digital Mindfulness and Digital Well-Being Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Fear of Missing Out
Emadeldin M. Elsokkary
Behavioral Sciences October 22, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/bs16111964 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 477 |
| Population | Undergraduate students at three universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Lower fear of missing out was the main statistical pathway linking greater digital mindfulness to better perceived digital well-being. The indirect association through FoMO was substantial (β = 0.371, 95% CI [0.310, 0.437]) and remained significant after correction for measurement error, whereas the direct association was small and not robust to that correction; the model accounted for 52.7% of the variance in latent PDW. |
Abstract
Background. Digital mindfulness and fear of missing out (FoMO) may help explain how university students experience their digital lives. This study examined whether FoMO statistically accounted for the association between digital mindfulness and perceived digital well-being (PDW). Methods. A cross-sectional online survey included 477 undergraduate students from three universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling examined direct and indirect associations with a latent PDW factor indicated by emotional, social, and cognitive domain scores. Results. Greater digital mindfulness was associated with lower FoMO, which was associated with more favorable PDW. The positive indirect association through FoMO was substantial (β = 0.371, 95% bias-corrected bootstrap CI [0.310, 0.437]) and remained significant after correction for measurement error. The direct association was small and was not robust to this correction. The model accounted for 52.7% of the variance in latent PDW. Conclusions. Lower FoMO was the main statistical pathway linking mindful digital engagement with better PDW. These findings suggest that student-support initiatives could examine awareness of checking urges and more intentional digital engagement as potential intervention targets. Longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to establish temporal ordering and evaluate whether such approaches improve digital well-being.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Trait Mindfulness and Problematic Smartphone Use in Chinese Early Adolescent: The Multiple Mediating Roles of Negative Affectivity and Fear of Missing Out. Behavioral Sciences March 3, 2023