Ayşen Kovan, Arzu Gülbahçe
Objective The widespread use of digital communication has reshaped how university students connect and engage socially. As social media addiction (SMA) becomes increasingly prevalent, its adverse effects on mental health and academic performance have attracted growing attention. However, the psychological and contextual mechanisms underlying SMA remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the mediating role of the Big Five personality traits and the moderating role of academic discipline in the relationship between fear of missing out (FoMO) and SMA.Method A cross-sectional design was employed with 993 undergraduate students (Mage = 20.18, SD = 1.58) from a public university in Türkiye, classified into SEA (Social Sciences, Education, Arts) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine) disciplines. Participants completed measures of FoMO, SMA, and personality traits. Parallel and moderated mediation analyses were conducted.Results FoMO was positively associated with SMA. Agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness to experience significantly mediated this relationship. Academic discipline moderated several pathways: extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience were significant mediators in SEA, whereas neuroticism was the primary mediator in STEM. Conscientiousness did not mediate the FoMO–SMA relationship in the STEM group.Conclusion SMA reflects interactions between psychological vulnerabilities and academic contexts, highlighting the importance of context-sensitive, trait-informed interventions.