Breaking Face-to-Face Interactions: A Theoretical Path Between FoMO and Phubbing Via Problematic Social Media Use Among Preservice Teachers
This study of 1,068 Spanish preservice teachers reveals that fear of missing out (FoMO) indirectly increases phubbing (communication disturbance) by driving problematic social media use, highlighting the critical need for digital self-regulation training in teacher education.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the modern classroom and the university lecture hall, a quiet tension has taken hold between the person sitting across the table and the glowing rectangle in a student's hand. We live in an era where digital tools are woven into the fabric of learning, offering instant access to information and connection. Yet, this constant availability brings a psychological weight known as the fear of missing out. This is not merely a desire to check a phone; it is a persistent worry that rewarding experiences are happening elsewhere, driving a compulsion to stay continuously informed. When this worry takes root, it can evolve into a pattern of behavior where social media use becomes difficult to control, interfering with daily life and relationships. The most visible sign of this struggle is the act of ignoring the people right in front of us to look at a screen, a behavior that disrupts the very face-to-face interactions essential for learning and human connection.
A team of researchers in Spain set out to understand how these three elements—the fear of missing out, the struggle to control social media use, and the act of ignoring others—fit together, specifically among those training to become teachers. They focused on a large group of 1,068 university students enrolled in teacher education programs. These future educators are in a unique position; they are expected to master digital tools for their own learning while also developing the self-control and attention skills they will one day need to model for their own students. The researchers wanted to see if the anxiety of missing out leads directly to ignoring people, or if it first creates a habit of problematic social media use that then spills over into real-world conversations.
To find the answers, the researchers asked these students to fill out detailed questionnaires about their feelings and habits. They measured the students' level of worry about missing online events, their difficulty in regulating their social media time, and how often they found themselves checking their phones while with friends, family, or classmates. The study was designed to look at these factors all at once, rather than in isolation, to see how they influenced one another. The results painted a clear picture of a chain reaction. The fear of missing out was strongly linked to the inability to control social media use. In turn, this lack of control was linked to the behavior of ignoring people in person.
However, the story did not end with a simple chain. The researchers discovered that the fear of missing out also had a direct line to ignoring people, independent of the general struggle with social media. This means that the anxiety of being offline can cause someone to look away from a conversation even if they are not necessarily addicted to their phone in a broader sense. The study showed that the inability to regulate social media use explained a significant portion of why people ignore others, but it was not the whole story. The fear of missing out itself was a powerful driver, accounting for a large share of the disruption in face-to-face communication.
The findings suggest that for future teachers, the challenge is not just about learning to use technology, but about learning to manage their attention. The research indicates that the urge to stay connected to the digital world can pull attention away from the physical world, creating a gap in communication. This is particularly critical for those training to be educators, as their ability to engage with students and colleagues depends on their capacity to remain present. The study highlights that digital competence involves more than just technical skill; it requires the psychological ability to regulate one's own focus and choose when to be available to the people right in front of them.
While the study provides a strong map of how these behaviors are connected, the researchers note that their work was a snapshot in time, capturing a moment rather than a long-term journey. They cannot definitively say that one thing causes the other, only that they move together in a specific pattern. Nevertheless, the evidence is robust enough to suggest that addressing the fear of missing out and the habits of digital distraction is essential for the well-being of students and the quality of their future classrooms. The path forward for teacher education may need to include helping future educators recognize these internal pressures and develop the self-regulation needed to keep their attention where it matters most: in the room with the people they are teaching.
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