Effects of Technofence, Phantom Addiction, and Fear of Missing Out on Academic Motivation Among University Students

Effects of Technofence, Phantom Addiction, and Fear of Missing Out on Academic Motivation Among University Students | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effects of Technofence, Phantom Addiction, and Fear of Missing Out on Academic Motivation Among University Students Markos Malimo Setena This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9060606/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study examines the impacts of technofence, phantom addiction, and fear of missing out (FoMO) on academic motivation among students at Wolyita Sodo, Arba Minch, And Wachemo Universities in Ethiopia. Utilizing a correlational research design and a quantitative approach, a sample of 410 students was surveyed using structured questionnaires. The findings reveal high levels of technofence and phantom addiction, with moderate levels of FoMO among participants. Correlation and regression analyses indicate that technofence is the strongest predictor of academic motivation, while phantom addiction and FoMO also significantly predict academic outcomes. Gender differences were identified, with male students reporting higher levels of technofence and FoMO, while female students exhibited slightly higher academic motivation. These results underscore the complexities of digital technology engagement in shaping academic experiences and highlight the need for educational institutions to promote responsible technology use to support student motivation. Technofence Phantom Addiction Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Academic Motivation Higher Education Digital Technology Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 16 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 05 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 04 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 31 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 31 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 16 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 16 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 16 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9060606","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":616859815,"identity":"134a5fdc-f1c4-4fd8-86d7-af2a3509fced","order_by":0,"name":"Markos Malimo Setena","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACZjDJB6ISKkB85gbitLCBqAdnQHxGYrUAMePDNhCTgBbd9rOPDT782SbPxs6d+CBxXm00fztQy4+KbTi1mJ1JN06c2XbbsI2Zd7NB4rbjuTMOMzYw9py5jVvLgTTmw7wNtxmBWrZJJG47ltsA1MLM2IZHy/lnzId5/ty2h2iZcyx3PkEtN9KYk3nYbidCtDTU5G4grOUZsyHQL8lgvyQcO5C7EajlIF6/nE9jlvjw57ZtP//ZjQ9/1NTlzjt/+OCDHxW4taCDw2DyANHqgaCOFMWjYBSMglEwQgAA8I1cXEd26NwAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Dilla University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Markos","middleName":"Malimo","lastName":"Setena","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-07 20:08:15","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9060606/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9060606/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":106402299,"identity":"8faeb949-9a69-4df7-ac78-5b72a4877cd1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-08 09:11:41","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":485938,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptforDiscoverpsychology1.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9060606/v1_covered_c8af2dbe-ba0c-40f4-b1e0-3bc6cb80e229.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eEffects of Technofence, Phantom Addiction, and Fear of Missing Out on Academic Motivation Among University Students\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"discpsy","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Psychology](https://www.springer.com/44202)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Psychology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Technofence, Phantom Addiction, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), Academic Motivation, Higher Education, Digital Technology","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9060606/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9060606/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eThis study examines the impacts of technofence, phantom addiction, and fear of missing out (FoMO) on academic motivation among students at\u003c/em\u003e Wolyita Sodo, Arba Minch, And Wachemo \u003cem\u003eUniversities in Ethiopia. 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