In Lebanese adults, higher internet addiction scores were linked with more fear of missing out and lower life satisfaction.
Digital habits tracked with well-being. The pattern was not simple. Life satisfaction did not explain every link.
Quick summary
- What the study found: The paper Digital health risks and well-being: internet addiction, fear of missing out, and life satisfaction in Lebanese adults. found that internet addiction was associated with higher fear of missing out and lower life satisfaction.
- Why it matters: Many adults use the internet for work, news, family, and social life, so unhealthy patterns can blend into normal routines.
- What to be careful about: This was a cross-sectional online survey, so it shows links, not cause and effect.
Internet addiction scores tracked with fear of missing out
The study surveyed 549 Lebanese residents aged 18 or older. Participants answered questions about demographics, social media use, internet addiction, life satisfaction, and fear of missing out.
Fear of missing out, often shortened to FOMO, means anxiety about being left out of rewarding experiences. In this paper, higher internet addiction scores were significantly associated with higher FOMO.
The researchers adjusted their analysis for age and education. The association still appeared, suggesting the pattern was not explained only by those two factors.
Lower life satisfaction appeared in the same digital pattern
The study also found that higher internet addiction was significantly associated with lower life satisfaction. Life satisfaction refers to a person’s broad judgment of how satisfied they are with life overall.
One important detail: life satisfaction was not associated with FOMO in this study. That means the paper did not find a simple chain from lower satisfaction to more FOMO.
The safer reading is narrower. Internet addiction, FOMO, and life satisfaction were connected in meaningful ways, but not every expected connection appeared.
Why this matters outside the survey
The findings fit a common everyday problem. Internet use can start as a tool, then become a default response to boredom, stress, social comparison, or the feeling that something is happening elsewhere.
That does not mean ordinary internet use is harmful. The paper focuses on internet addiction scores, not routine online behavior such as messaging friends, paying bills, or reading news.
The Lebanese context also matters. The abstract notes high internet usage and a shortage of mental health care in the country, which makes digital well-being a practical public health concern.
A safer way to read your own habits
This paper should not be used to self-diagnose. Still, it can prompt a useful check-in about patterns that feel hard to control or leave you less satisfied afterward.
Useful questions are simple. Do you go online when you meant to sleep, work, study, or rest? Do you feel pulled back by the fear that others are doing something without you?
For most readers, the practical takeaway is reflection, not panic. Digital literacy means noticing how platforms shape attention, comparison, and habits before those habits run automatically.
What remains uncertain
Because the survey was cross-sectional, it cannot show direction. Higher internet addiction might contribute to lower satisfaction, lower satisfaction might shape internet use, or both may relate to other factors.
The online sample may also miss some Lebanese adults. People who take online surveys may differ from those with limited access, different habits, or less interest in digital topics.
The careful takeaway is clear: heavier problematic internet use was linked with more FOMO and lower life satisfaction. The next step is better evidence, not stronger claims than the design allows.