<![CDATA[Generation Z has grown up with ubiquitous social media, yet constant connectivity may carry psychological costs. Fear of missing out (FoMO) has been linked to poorer well-being, but the mechanisms that explain this association remain insufficiently tested, particularly for eudaimonic well-being among young adults in Indonesia. This study examined whether social media fatigue (SMF) explains the association between FoMO and psychological well-being (PWB) among Generation Z adults. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between September 2025 and January 2026 with 250 Generation Z adults aged 18–28 years in Makassar City, recruited through purposive sampling. FoMO, SMF, and PWB were measured with self-report scales, and mediation was tested using PROCESS Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. FoMO was positively associated with SMF (B = 0.57, p < .001) and negatively associated with PWB (total effect B = −0.39, p < .001). SMF was negatively associated with PWB (B = −0.57, p < .001). The indirect effect of FoMO on PWB through SMF was significant (B = −0.33, 95% CI [−0.42, −0.24]), whereas the direct effect was not (B = −0.06, 95% CI [−0.19, 0.07]), a pattern consistent with full statistical mediation. The findings identify fatigue as a psychological pathway through which FoMO is related to lower well-being, and suggest that digital well-being efforts should address FoMO and fatigue-producing patterns of use rather than screen time alone. Causal interpretation is limited by the cross-sectional design.]]>
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