Nomophobia and Psychological Well-Being: Chain Mediating Role of Social Network Sites Addiction and Doomscrolling

The integration of mobile phones into everyday life has become unavoidable, shifting lifestyles across gen erations. Most likely, emerging adults suffer from repercussions caused by their dependence on smartphones and exposure to social networking sites, potentially associated with adverse outcomes for their mental health. This study investigated the mediating roles of social network sites addiction and doomscrolling within the interaction between nomophobia and the psychological well-being of emerging adults, utilizing a theoretical model grounded in the transactional model of stress. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 399 college students aged 18–24 in Tamil Nadu, India. The data analysis involved the Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling to examine the mediating roles of social network sites addic tion and doomscrolling. It was observed that there was a positive link between nomophobia, social network site addiction, and doomscrolling and a negative correlation between these factors and psychological well being. Moreover, the results revealed that social network sites addiction and doomscrolling fully mediated the relationship between nomophobia and psychological well-being. The study recommends that college administrators, teachers, behaviorists, and researchers employ acceptance commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness to help individuals manage smartphone use, reduce nomophobia, and adopt healthier online habits for better well-being.

Cite this article as: Antonysamy, S., & Parameswari, J. (2025). Nomophobia and psychological well-being: chain mediating role of social network sites addiction and doomscrolling. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, Published online November 7, 2025. doi:10.5152/ ADDICTA.2025.24308.