Social media use, mediated by fear of missing out, affects preadolescents’ sleep quality.

Social media is linked to poor sleep in adolescents and adults, with anxiety and fear of missing out (FoMO) as key factors. Preadolescents are increasingly using social media, but research on preadolescents remains limited. 104 UK preadolescents (52 female, M = 133.4 months, SD = 5.0) completed questionnaires on social media engagement measured across social media integration and emotional connection and integration into social routine, anxiety, FoMO, and sleep quality. Social media integration and emotional connection affected sleep quality, partially mediated by FoMO while Integration into social routines was only significant with FoMO as a mediator. As such, higher social media engagement predicts poorer sleep in preadolescents, mediated by FoMO, highlighting the need for further research in preadolescence.