Passive social media use and academic delay of gratification: The mediating role of time management tendency and the moderating effect of fear of missing out

As social media usage continues to grow, the challenge of academic delay of gratification has become more pronounced among university students. Academic delay of gratification refers to the ability of students to postpone immediate satisfaction in order to achieve long-term academic goals. Although previous studies have examined related factors, little empirical research has explored how passive social media use relates to academic delay of gratification or how time management tendency and fear of missing out contribute to this process. To address this gap, this study investigates the relationship between passive social media use and academic delay of gratification through the mediating role of time management tendency and the moderating role of fear of missing out, constructing a moderated mediation model. A survey was conducted involving 1099 university students, collecting self-report data. The study utilized the Resource Allocation Theory and Self-Regulation Model as theoretical frameworks to explore the relationships between passive social media use, time management tendency, fear of missing out, and academic delay of gratification. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) for path analysis. The findings showed a strong negative correlation between passive social media use and academic delay of gratification, with time management tendency partially mediating this relationship. Additionally, the moderating effect of fear of missing out was partially supported. This study offers fresh insights into how university students regulate emotions and academic behaviors, thereby extending the application scope of Resource Allocation Theory and the Self-Regulation Model to digital learning contexts. The findings suggest that reducing passive social media use and enhancing time management tendency can improve academic delay of gratification, particularly among students with high fear of missing out. Practically, universities should focus on time management training and emotional regulation to help students better balance academic tasks and social media use. This study provides theoretical support for developing mental health intervention strategies for university students, although longitudinal research is needed to further verify the causality of these relationships. • Passive social media use negatively predicts academic delay of gratification. • Time management tendency partially mediates the effect of social media use on academic delay of gratification. • Fear of missing out moderates the effect of social media use on time management tendency. • Fear of missing out moderates the direct path from social media use to academic delay of gratification.