User engagement and self-disclosure on Snapchat and Instagram: the mediating effects of social media addiction and fear of missing out

Purpose The present research examines self-disclosure as a negative behavior arising from excessive engagement on social media as well as social media addiction and fear of missing out. Design/methodology/approach A convenience sample of 2,333 Snapchat and Instagram users in Kuwait collected using a snowball sampling procedure was utilized to validate the research model and test the proposed relationships using two-stage structural equation modeling. Findings A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis across Snapchat and Instagram users showed that the measurement invariance was statistically nonsignificant. In addition, path analysis confirmed both a significant direct relationship between user engagement and self-disclosure and indirect relationships through social media addiction and fear of missing out as mediators. Practical implications Ethicists and consumer protection agencies must increase public awareness about the danger of overdisclosure of personal information on social media. The desire to be popular like fashionistas and influencers has pushed some young users to expose themselves to the public at extreme levels. Serious steps must be taken to educate young users about the negative consequences of self-disclosure on social media and healthy ways to capitalize their social presence on social media. Originality/value This study focuses on Snapchat and Instagram as underexplored social media applications with excessive engagement and potentially negative consequences on society.