Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) describes the fear of missing out on (socially) rewarding experiences that other people could have while you are absent.[1] This goes hand in hand with the persistent desire to be in constant dialogue with others.[2] To address this anxiety, people often resort to the use of social media. FoMO is therefore characterised as an anxiety-related construct consisting of a cognitive component and a behavioural strategy (e.g. the use of social media).
Social media channels such as Instagram and TikTok offer the opportunity to observe the interaction and experiences of others. A large amount of new content is available on these platforms in a short space of time, but sometimes only for a limited period of time. This constantly encourages behaviours such as regularly checking one’s own social media profiles, monitoring the receipt of new messages and the associated interruption in everyday life.[2] FoMO is closely linked to both social media use and digital wellbeing. Even if the use of social media does not have to be fundamentally problematic, but can be a positive addition to the experience of social belonging in everyday life, it can be assumed that the fear of missing out on something and the resulting intensive, prolonged use of social media can intensify negative emotions and thus worsen digital well-being.
As a possible explanation for the development of FoMO, it is assumed that the experience is the result of unmet social needs and deficits in reward expectations,[2] 3], [4] Empirical studies have shown that the experience of FoMO is associated with a time-intensive and sometimes problematic use of social media and other internet-related applications, which is accompanied by the experience of negative consequences in everyday life, such as conflicts with family members or problems at work or school (e.g. [5], [6], [7]). Furthermore, empirical studies underline that psychopathological symptoms such as depression, (social) anxiety, health problems or a lower quality of life can also favour the experience of FoMO and the resulting problematic use of social media (e.g. [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]). In addition, female users as well as adolescents and young adults seem to be particularly affected by an increased fear of missing out[2], [5]
Comparability with analogue phenomena
FoMO first appeared in the media in the 2010s, during the same period in which the use of social media also increased substantially. [ 1], [2] In research, the fear of missing out is therefore clearly associated with the use of social media and other internet-related applications and can be described as a primarily digital phenomenon that occurs regardless of location and is therefore ubiquitously available (e.g. [5], [6], [7]). Due to the close link between FoMO and social media in both scientific and social discourse, it is not directly possible to transfer this to an analogue phenomenon. However, since the lack of social need fulfilment is considered the basis of FoMO, there is at least a substantive proximity to the need to belong. This is a central motive of an individual with varying degrees of subjective expression.[11] Unlike FoMO, the need for social belonging is not about experiencing anxiety or a strategy to counteract it, but rather about a general human need and motive for action in the context of social belonging and can be understood as the basis for experiencing FoMO.
Social relevance
Fear of missing out (FoMO) has social relevance as it has been identified as a central risk factor in the development and maintenance of problematic, excessive use of social media.[4] It can be assumed that addressing FoMO should be of fundamental interest in order to reduce this risk, especially among young people, and thus address problematic use. The basic building blocks here are the development of resilience and the implementation of controlled use of social media. These would also aim to address cognitive distortions, but also to learn strategies to deal with their own insecurities and social anxieties and to socialise with other people[12], [13], [14]
Sources
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- Elhai, J. D./Yang, H./Montag, C. (2021). Fear of missing out (FOMO): Overview, theoretical underpinnings, and literature review on relations with severity of negative affectivity and problematic technology use. In: Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry 43(2), 203–209. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0870.
- Elhai, J. D. et al. (2020). Health anxiety related to problematic smartphone use and gaming disorder severity during COVID-19: Fear of missing out as a mediator. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.227.
- Wegmann, E./Brand, M. (2019). A narrative overview about psychosocial characteristics as risk factors of a problematic social networks use. In: Current Addiction Reports, 6, 402–409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-019-00286-8.
- Akbari, M. et al. (2021). Fear of missing out (FoMO) and Internet use: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions 10(4), 879–900. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2021.00083.
- Beyens, I./Frison, E./Eggermont, S. (2016). “I don’t want to miss a thing”: Adolescents’ fear of missing out and its relationship to adolescents’ social needs, Facebook use, and Facebook related stress. In: Computers in Human Behavior, 64, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.083.
- Wegmann, E. et al. (2017). Online-specific fear of missing out and Internet-use expectancies contribute to symptoms of Internet-communication disorder. In: Addictive Behaviors Reports 5, 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2017.04.001
- Elhai, J. D. et al. (2019). Depression and anxiety symptoms are related to problematic smartphone use severity in Chinese young adults: Fear of missing out as a mediator. Addictive Behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.04.020.
- Fang, J. et al. (2020). Fear of missing out and problematic social media use as mediators between emotional support from social media and phubbing behavior. Addictive Behaviors 107, 106430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106430.
- Röttinger, D. et al. (2021). Dispositional and online-specific Fear of Missing Out are associated with the development of IUD symptoms in different internet applications. In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2021.00042.
- Deci, E. L./Vansteenkiste, M. (2004). Self-determination theory and basic need satisfaction: Understanding human development in positive psychology. In: Ricerche di Psicologia 27, 23-40.
- Alutaybi, A. et al. (2020). Combating Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on social media: The FoMO-R Method. In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176128
- Gupta, M./Sharman, A. (2021). Fear of Missing Out: A brief overview of origin, theoretical underpinnings, and relationship with mental health. In: World Journal of Clincial Cases, 9(19) 4881–4889. https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v9.i19.4881.
- Vandoninck, S./d’Haenens, L./Roe, K. (2013). Online risks - coping strategies of less resilient children and teenagers across Europe. Journal of Children and Media, 7(1), 60–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2012.739780.