Digital Hoarding, Fear of Missing Out and Attachment Anxiety among Young Adults

Abstract

Aim of the Study: Study aimed to establish relationships among digital hoarding, fear of missing out and attachment anxiety among young adults. To determine digital hoarding and fear of missing out as a predictor of attachment anxiety among young adults and to explore the gender differences between digital hoarding, fear of missing out and attachment anxiety among young adults.

Methodology: Using a cross-sectional correlational research design, data was collected from 210 University students through self-report questionnaires. Key measures included Digital Hoarding Questionnaire (Neave et al., 2019), Fear of Missing Out Scale (Przybylski et al., 2013) and Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1996).

Findings: Correlational Analysis revealed that there was a significant positive correlation between digital hoarding, fear of missing out and attachment anxiety. Age had no correlation while digital device storage used had significant correlation with all the study variables. In Hierarchical Regression, both digital hoarding and fear of missing out positively predicted attachment anxiety while gender did not predict attachment anxiety. Interestingly, the number of siblings when entered with digital hoarding and fear of missing out, negatively predicted attachment anxiety. Additionally, t-tests were run and there were no gender differences among digital hoarding and attachment anxiety while women had higher level of fear of missing out as compared to men.

Conclusion: This research in the Pakistani Context shows that how the rising psychological consequences of online behaviors such as hoarding and FOMO connect with relational insecurities such as attachment anxiety. In these dynamics, these findings analyze the interplay between digital hoarding, fear of missing out and attachment anxiety which enables the identification of how maladaptive digital behaviors develop and linger.