The Role of Fear of Negative Evaluation and Loneliness in Linking Insecure Attachment to Social Media Addiction: Evidence from Chinese University Students.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

With the widespread integration of digital media into daily life, social media addiction (SMA) has become a growing concern for university students' mental health. Based on attachment theory, this study examined how attachment anxiety and avoidance influence SMA through fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and loneliness.

METHODS

A sample of 400 Chinese university students completed the 16-item short version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR), the 8-item Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE), the 6-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale-Short Form (RULS-6), and the 6-item Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Using the PROCESS macro (Model 6), a chained mediation model was tested.

RESULTS

Attachment anxiety positively predicts SMA ( = 0.42); the chained mediation pathway through FNE and loneliness accounts for ab = 0.06 of this effect, alongside additional single-mediator paths. In contrast, attachment avoidance shows a weaker total effect ( = -0.08) and a small negative chained mediation effect ( = -0.02), offset by opposing single-mediator paths via FNE (negative) and loneliness (positive), resulting in a nonsignificant total indirect effect.

DISCUSSION

These findings suggest that in the Chinese cultural context, where social evaluation and belonging are emphasized, insecure attachment may heighten emotional reliance on social media. This study elucidates the socio-emotional mechanisms underlying SMA and extends the application of attachment theory to the digital media environment.