Adolescents problematic mobile phone use, Fear of Missing Out and family communication

Abstract

This research analyzes the problematic use of mobile phone, the phenomenon of fear of missing Out (FoMO) and the communication between parents and children in students who attend secondary education in public and private centers of the regions of Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and Valencia. The research involved 569 students aged between 12 and 19 years. The instruments used were the «Mobil phone related experiences questionnaire», the Spanish adaptation of the «Fear of missing out questionnaire» and the communication dimension with parents of the «Parents and peers attachment inventory». The results show that: 1) An increased problematic use of the mobile phone is associated with a higher level of FoMO; 2) The students who frequently use the mobile phone and communicate more with their friends have a higher average score in the «Mobile phone related experiences questionnaire» and in the «Fear of missing out questionnaire»; 3) The students that use the mobile phone for less time has a greater communication with fathers and mothers. We discuss the relevance of the study of FoMO and parents-children communication as factors that affect the problematic use of mobile phone in young people. Centers’ guidance teams, families and teachers have to create a common learning space to promote the responsible use of mobile phone..