Is the Global Pandemic Driving Me Crazy? The Relationship Between Personality Traits, Fear of Missing Out, and Social Media Fatigue During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Individ uals’ psychological behaviors and fear of missing out are affected by the global pandemic. This study investigates how individual “Big Five” personality traits influence fear of missing out leading to social media fatigue, the impact of social media fatigue on social media fatigue behavior during the COVID-19 lockdown. As a result, this study proposes and develops a model using the structural equation modelling for data obtained from young adults in the South-Western region of Nigeria. Results show the impact of openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion emotional instability was positively significant towards fear of missing out over the use of social media during COVID-19, whereas the effect of agreeableness and emotional stability were insignificant towards fear of missing out over the use of social media during COVID-19. In addition, the impact of the fear of missing out on social media fatigue influences social media fatigue behavior. Theoretical and managerial implications for “Big Five” personality traits, fear of missing out, social media fatigue, and social media behaviors are provided.