BEHAVIOUR & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, vol.43, pp.1-17, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
The relationship between smartphone use, interpersonal interaction, and friendship satisfaction(FS) remains underexplored in literature. The present study addressed this gap by examininghow smartphone-related behaviours, such as phubbing and smartphone addiction (SPA), areassociated with fear of missing out (FoMO), being phubbed (BP) and FS. The study surveyed 811university students and explored the aforementioned relationships and the dual roles of SPA asa mediator and BP as a moderator. The findings showed that FoMO positively correlated withphubbing, with SPA as a partial mediator, suggesting that reducing SPA could mitigatephubbing. Results also showed that BP moderated the relationship between these variables,influencing the effects of phubbing on FS. Notably, the findings also showed that whilephubbing typically harms FS, BP can transform this negative impact into a positive one whenfriends share this behaviour. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding ofdigital behaviours’ effects on social interactions and offer practical implications. Interventionssuch as digital detox programmes, mindfulness training, and social skills workshops arerecommended to promote healthier digital habits and improve social relationships. The needfor tailored support for at-risk students and policy development that foster digital well-being ineducational settings is emphasised