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.