Career (un)readiness among generation Z

: exploring the role of fear of missing out and social media addiction

Abstract

Background: The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) involves the concern of continually seeking out and being connected to what others are doing. The persistent fear of being excluded from a fulfilling experience or opportunity may lead to problematic social media engagement, particularly among younger generations. Although research has extensively evidenced the relationship between FoMO and social media addiction, highlighting the detrimental effects on mental health, well-being, and productivity, it is still unclear whether FoMO may be associated with lack of career readiness (lack of motivation, dysfunctional beliefs, and indecisiveness). This dissertation aimed to address this gap by investigating the mediator role of social media addiction between FoMO and career readiness. Methods:169 participants aged between 18 and 34 (M = 23.89, SD = 3.47), were recruited online and filled out the survey questionnaires. Results: Results from the moderated-mediation model showed that social media addiction was not a mediator between FoMO and career readiness. Instead, FoMO was positively linked to indecisiveness but not with dysfunctional beliefs, while negatively associated with lack of motivation. Furthermore, as hypothesized, the relationship between FoMO and social media addiction was stronger among Generation Z. Conclusions: Whereas our study is cross-sectional and caution should be taken with the interpretations of the results, our findings suggest that FoMO may trigger social media addiction. Our results also provide important clues for a broader understanding of FoMO's intricate association with motivation and fear-based indecisiveness, as a sign for career-decision (un)readiness. Implications for future research are discussed.

Date of Award	23 Sept 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Sandra Oliveira (Supervisor)