Behind the Screen: Digital Disinhibition, Fear of Missing Out and Cyber Incivility among Generation Z: The Moderating Role of Digital Emotional Regulation

Abstract

Cyber incivility, meaning low-intensity disrespectful behavior in digital communication, is common among young adults, yet individuals differ widely in how often they engage in it. This study examined whether digital disinhibition and fear of missing out (FoMO) are associated with cyber incivility among Generation Z adults, and whether digital emotional regulation (DER) moderates these associations. The framework draws on Suler’s online disinhibition effect, the self-determination account of FoMO, and Gross’s process model of emotion regulation. A cross-sectional survey design was specified, and the analysis was demonstrated on a dataset of 320 participants aged 18 to 29 years. Hierarchical regression with HC3 robust standard errors tested three main effects and two interaction terms, controlling for age, gender, and daily social media use. Digital disinhibition (b = 0.272) and FoMO (b = 0.263) were positively associated with cyber incivility, and DER was negatively associated with it (b = −0.242), all p < .001. Both interactions were negative (disinhibition × DER, b = −0.143, p = .007; FoMO × DER, b = −0.136, p = .003), so the positive associations weakened as DER increased. At low DER (−1 SD), the effects of disinhibition and FoMO were 0.42 and 0.40; at high DER (+1 SD), both fell to 0.13 and were not statistically significant. The full model explained 33.8% of the variance in cyber incivility. The pattern suggests that regulatory capacity may determine whether online disinhibition and social-exclusion anxiety become impolite behavior.