Having FOMO? Study says it’s not just about missing out on fun; it’s about…

FOMO (fear of missing out) has turned out to be one of the words we use the most. It refers to the fear of missing out on things that are important and interesting. However, a recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology states that it’s not just about missing out on things that are fun; its more than that. Also read | Selfies and FOMO: Why self-centered people are all about social media

The study reveals that the fear of missing out is driven by the loss of opportunities of bonding with people that we care about. This fear stems from anxiety, driven by the innate need of being present in our relationships and social situations, and being anxious about how our absence can affect them.

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on 5,441 participants from online platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk and Prolific. The participants were made to experience diverse situations to understand the real drivers and triggers behind the fear of missing out. Hypothetical scenarios, real social media browsing tasks, and experimental manipulations of event characteristics were used as methods in the experiment. Also read | How FOMO might lurk behind teen social media anxiety

The study observed that the participants experienced most FOMO when they missed events consisting of their close friends and loved ones. Their FOMOs heightened when events included social bonding. Also read | Is social media making you anxious? How using it smarter can boost your mental health

What triggers FOMO?

This further proves that FOMO is triggered not just by the fear of missing out on fun, but from the perception of building connections and shared history.

Study author Jacqueline R. Rifkin, an assistant professor of marketing at SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University, told PsyPost, “I was surprised to see that people can feel a good bit of FOMO for missed events that are not enjoyable—like a funeral, consoling a sad friend, or a hectic initiation ceremony. For me, this really hammered home the point that FOMO is really not about the fun that we’re missing—it’s those intangible connections people build when they spend time together, which absolutely includes bonding over something sad or emotional.” Also read | The dark side effects of digital workplace: How information overload and FOMO are driving stress and burnout

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.