Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions

<p dir="ltr">This study aims to investigate the connections between fear of missing out (FoMO), problematic social media use (PSMU), and perceptions of vulnerability, comparing these dynamics across UK and Arab samples. We explore whether these cyber behaviors are driven by inherent...

وصف كامل

محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Tourjana Islam Supti (22466692) (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Ala Yankouskaya (11818580) (author), Mahmoud Barhmagi (22466695) (author), Armstrong Nhlabatsi (17773473) (author), Khaled M. Khan (16888788) (author), Jordi Martin Domingo (22466698) (author), Aiman Erbad (14150589) (author), Raian Ali (12066006) (author)
منشور في: 2025
الموضوعات:
الوسوم: إضافة وسم
لا توجد وسوم, كن أول من يضع وسما على هذه التسجيلة!
_version_ 1864513533197156352
author Tourjana Islam Supti (22466692)
author2 Ala Yankouskaya (11818580)
Mahmoud Barhmagi (22466695)
Armstrong Nhlabatsi (17773473)
Khaled M. Khan (16888788)
Jordi Martin Domingo (22466698)
Aiman Erbad (14150589)
Raian Ali (12066006)
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author_facet Tourjana Islam Supti (22466692)
Ala Yankouskaya (11818580)
Mahmoud Barhmagi (22466695)
Armstrong Nhlabatsi (17773473)
Khaled M. Khan (16888788)
Jordi Martin Domingo (22466698)
Aiman Erbad (14150589)
Raian Ali (12066006)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Tourjana Islam Supti (22466692)
Ala Yankouskaya (11818580)
Mahmoud Barhmagi (22466695)
Armstrong Nhlabatsi (17773473)
Khaled M. Khan (16888788)
Jordi Martin Domingo (22466698)
Aiman Erbad (14150589)
Raian Ali (12066006)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-04-22T09:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1007/s41347-025-00515-0
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Digital_Dependency_and_Security_Risk_Investigating_the_Connections_Between_Fear_of_Missing_Out_Problematic_Social_Media_Use_and_Vulnerability_Perceptions/30405595
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Information and computing sciences
Cybersecurity and privacy
Psychology
Social and personality psychology
Security attitude
Fear of missing out
Social media disorder
Perceptions of vulnerability
Scam
Cultural differences
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">This study aims to investigate the connections between fear of missing out (FoMO), problematic social media use (PSMU), and perceptions of vulnerability, comparing these dynamics across UK and Arab samples. We explore whether these cyber behaviors are driven by inherent traits or influenced by personal intentions of usage and perceptions of risk. This will help focus countermeasures, such as prioritizing whether to adapt the design to personal factors or improve risk perception. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey design with 642 participants, 314 from the UK and 328 from the Arab region. The study measured how FoMO and PSMU, including demographic factors, age, and gender, influence individuals’ susceptibility to cyber threats, focusing on three key questions: the Likelihood of being targeted by a scam, the Likelihood of a successful scam, and the Encounter of a scam. The results reveal significant associations between FoMO, PSMU, and perceptions of vulnerability, with notable cultural differences. In the UK sample, FoMO and PSMU were strong predictors of the Likelihood of being targeted by a scam, and PSMU is the predictor of the Encounter of a scam, suggesting that higher level FoMO and PSMU are linked to greater online vulnerability. However, in the Arab sample, while FoMO was positively associated with the Likelihood of a successful scam, PSMU did not significantly predict the Likelihood of a successful scam. This discrepancy indicates that cultural or contextual factors may influence the relationship between FoMO, PSMU, and vulnerability perceptions differently across regions. The findings underscore the importance of considering cultural context when addressing digital behavior and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Future research should explore how varying forms of social media engagement and cultural factors impact these relationships to develop more effective, culturally tailored interventions.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41347-025-00515-0" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41347-025-00515-0</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_4fc50fe370c85bc26475b6e09d1af3b4
identifier_str_mv 10.1007/s41347-025-00515-0
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/30405595
publishDate 2025
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository_id_str
rights_invalid_str_mv CC BY 4.0
spelling Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability PerceptionsTourjana Islam Supti (22466692)Ala Yankouskaya (11818580)Mahmoud Barhmagi (22466695)Armstrong Nhlabatsi (17773473)Khaled M. Khan (16888788)Jordi Martin Domingo (22466698)Aiman Erbad (14150589)Raian Ali (12066006)Information and computing sciencesCybersecurity and privacyPsychologySocial and personality psychologySecurity attitudeFear of missing outSocial media disorderPerceptions of vulnerabilityScamCultural differences<p dir="ltr">This study aims to investigate the connections between fear of missing out (FoMO), problematic social media use (PSMU), and perceptions of vulnerability, comparing these dynamics across UK and Arab samples. We explore whether these cyber behaviors are driven by inherent traits or influenced by personal intentions of usage and perceptions of risk. This will help focus countermeasures, such as prioritizing whether to adapt the design to personal factors or improve risk perception. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey design with 642 participants, 314 from the UK and 328 from the Arab region. The study measured how FoMO and PSMU, including demographic factors, age, and gender, influence individuals’ susceptibility to cyber threats, focusing on three key questions: the Likelihood of being targeted by a scam, the Likelihood of a successful scam, and the Encounter of a scam. The results reveal significant associations between FoMO, PSMU, and perceptions of vulnerability, with notable cultural differences. In the UK sample, FoMO and PSMU were strong predictors of the Likelihood of being targeted by a scam, and PSMU is the predictor of the Encounter of a scam, suggesting that higher level FoMO and PSMU are linked to greater online vulnerability. However, in the Arab sample, while FoMO was positively associated with the Likelihood of a successful scam, PSMU did not significantly predict the Likelihood of a successful scam. This discrepancy indicates that cultural or contextual factors may influence the relationship between FoMO, PSMU, and vulnerability perceptions differently across regions. The findings underscore the importance of considering cultural context when addressing digital behavior and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Future research should explore how varying forms of social media engagement and cultural factors impact these relationships to develop more effective, culturally tailored interventions.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41347-025-00515-0" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41347-025-00515-0</a></p>2025-04-22T09:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1007/s41347-025-00515-0https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Digital_Dependency_and_Security_Risk_Investigating_the_Connections_Between_Fear_of_Missing_Out_Problematic_Social_Media_Use_and_Vulnerability_Perceptions/30405595CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/304055952025-04-22T09:00:00Z
spellingShingle Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions
Tourjana Islam Supti (22466692)
Information and computing sciences
Cybersecurity and privacy
Psychology
Social and personality psychology
Security attitude
Fear of missing out
Social media disorder
Perceptions of vulnerability
Scam
Cultural differences
status_str publishedVersion
title Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions
title_full Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions
title_fullStr Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions
title_full_unstemmed Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions
title_short Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions
title_sort Digital Dependency and Security Risk: Investigating the Connections Between Fear of Missing Out, Problematic Social Media Use, and Vulnerability Perceptions
topic Information and computing sciences
Cybersecurity and privacy
Psychology
Social and personality psychology
Security attitude
Fear of missing out
Social media disorder
Perceptions of vulnerability
Scam
Cultural differences