The Fear Of Missing Out Phobia Name

[Marthe Bernskoetter]

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know about or missing out on information, events, experiences, or life decisions that could make one's life better.[2] FOMO is also associated with a fear of regret,[3] which may lead to concerns that one might miss an opportunity for social interaction, a novel experience, a memorable event, profitable investment or the comfort of those you love and who love you back.[4] It is characterized by a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing,[2] and can be described as the fear that deciding not to participate is the wrong choice.[3][5] FOMO could result from not knowing about a conversation,[6] missing a TV show, not attending a wedding or party,[7] or hearing that others have discovered a new restaurant.[8] FOMO in recent years has been attributed to a number of negative psychological and behavioral symptoms.[3][9][10]

FOMO has increased in recent times due to advancements in technology.[11] Social networking sites create many opportunities for FOMO. While it provides opportunities for social engagement,[2] it offers a view into an endless stream of activities in which a person is not involved. Psychological dependence on social media can lead to FOMO[12] or even pathological internet use.[13] FOMO is also present in video games, investing, and business marketing.[14][15][16] The increasing popularity of the phrase has led to related linguistic and cultural variants.[17] FOMO is associated with worsening depression and anxiety, and a lowered quality of life.[18]

FOMO can also affect businesses. Hype and trends can lead business leaders to invest based on perceptions of what others are doing, rather than their own business strategy.[19] This is also the idea of the bandwagon effect, where one individual may see another person (s) do something and they begin to think it must be important because everyone is doing it. They might not even understand the meaning behind it, and they may not totally agree with it. Nevertheless, they are still going to participate because they don't want to be left out.[20]

The phenomenon was first identified in 1996 by marketing strategist Dr. Dan Herman, who conducted research and published the first academic paper on the topic in 2000 in The Journal of Brand Management.[22] Herman also believes the concept has evolved to become more wide spread through mobile phone usage, texting, and social media and have helped flesh out the concept of the fear of missing out to the masses.[11] Before the Internet, a related phenomenon, "keeping up with the Joneses", was widely experienced. FOMO generalized and intensified this experience because so much more of people's lives became publicly documented and easily accessed. Further, a common tendency is to post about positive experiences (such as a great restaurant) rather than negative ones (such as a bad first date). Studies have found that the likelihood of experiencing fear of missing out has been linked to anxiety or depression.[2][23]

Author Patrick J. McGinnis coined the term FOMO[24] and popularized it in a 2004 op-ed in The Harbus, the magazine of Harvard Business School. The article was titled McGinnis' Two FOs: Social Theory at HBS, and also referred to another related condition, Fear of a Better Option (FOBO), and their role in the school's social life.[21][11][25] The origin of FOMO has also been traced to the 2004 Harbus article by academic Joseph Reagle.[26] Currently the term has been used as a hashtag on social media and has been mentioned in hundreds of news articles, from online sources like Salon.com to print papers like The New York Times.[11]

Fear of missing out has been associated with a deficit in psychological needs.[2] Self-determination theory contends that an individual's psychological satisfaction in their competence, autonomy, and relatedness consists of three basic psychological needs for human beings.[27] Test subjects with lower levels of basic psychological satisfaction reported a higher level of FOMO. FOMO has also been linked to negative psychological effects in overall mood and general life satisfaction.[3] A study performed on college campuses found that experiencing FOMO on a certain day led to a higher fatigue on that day specifically.[23] Experiencing FOMO continuously throughout the semester also can lead to higher stress levels among students.[23] An individual with an expectation to experience the fear of missing out can also develop a lower level of self-esteem.[10] A study by JWTIntelligence suggests that FOMO can influence the formation of long-term goals and self-perceptions.[28] In this study, around half of the respondents stated that they are overwhelmed by the amount of information needed to stay up-to-date, and that it is impossible to not miss out on something. The process of relative deprivation creates FOMO and dissatisfaction. It reduces psychological well-being.[2][18][29] FOMO led to negative social and emotional experiences, such as boredom and loneliness.[30] A 2013 study found that it negatively impacts mood and life satisfaction,[2] reduces self-esteem, and affects mindfulness.[31] Four in ten young people reported FOMO sometimes or often.[28] FOMO was found to be negatively correlated with age, and men were more likely than women to report it.[2] People who experience higher levels of FOMO tend to have a stronger desire for high social status, are more competitive with others of the same gender, and are more interested in short-term relationships.[32]

The fear of missing out stems from a feeling of missing social connections or information.[9] This absent feeling is then followed by a need or drive to interact socially to boost connections.[9][10] The fear of missing out not only leads to negative psychological effects but also has been shown to increase negative behavioral patterns.[9] In aims of maintaining social connections, negative habits are formed or heightened.[23] A 2019 University of Glasgow study surveyed 467 adolescents, and found that the respondents felt societal pressure to always be available.[33] According to John M. Grohol, founder and Editor-in-Chief of Psych Central, FOMO may lead to a constant search for new connections with others, abandoning current connections to do so.[34] The fear of missing out derived from digital connection has been positively correlated with bad technology habits especially in youth.[35] These negative habits included increased screen time, checking social media during school, or texting while driving.[35][2] Social media use in the presence of others can be referred to as phubbing, the habit of snubbing a physically present person in favour of a mobile phone.[35] Multiple studies have also identified a negative correlation between the hours of sleep and the scale at which individuals experience fear of missing out.[10][23] A lack of sleep in college students experiencing FOMO can be attributed to the number of social interactions that occur late at night on campuses.[23] Another study has highlighted the impact of FOMO in college students making adverse decisions with alcohol such as underage drinking, and binge drinking.[36]

Fear of missing out has a positive correlation with higher levels of social media usage.[2] Social media connects individuals and showcases the lives of others at their peak.[2] This gives people the fear of missing out when they feel like others on social media are taking part in positive life experiences that they personally are not also experiencing.[2] This fear of missing out related to social media has symptoms including anxiety, loneliness, and a feeling of inadequacy compared to others.[37] Self-esteem plays a key role in the levels a person feels when experiencing the fear of missing out, as their self worth is influenced by people they observe on social media.[2] There are two types of anxiety; one related to genetics that is permanent, and one that is temporary.[citation needed] The temporary state of anxiety is the one that is more relevant to the fear of missing out,[citation needed] and is directly related to the individual looking at social media sites for a short period of time.[citation needed] This anxiety is caused by a loss of feeling of belonging through the concept of social exclusion.[citation needed] FOMO-sufferers may increasingly seek access to others' social lives, and consume an escalating amount of real-time information.[38] A survey in 2012 indicated that 83% of respondents said that there is information overload in regards that there is too much to watch and read.[citation needed] Constant information that is available to people through social media causes the fear of missing out as people feel worse about themselves for not staying up to date with relevant information.[2] Social media shows just exactly what people are missing out on in real time including events like parties, opportunities, and other events leading for people to fear missing out on other related future events.[citation needed] Another survey indicates that almost 40% of people from ages 12 through 67 indicate that social media has led to a higher feeling of the fear of missing out.[citation needed] Millennials are the most affected by the fear of missing out, the highest proportion compared to other generations and this is due to the prominence of social media for the generation.[citation needed] Social media platforms that are associated with FOMO include Snapchat,[39] Facebook,[40] and Instagram.[41]

People want to be a part of the in-group and feel like they belong, making them fear missing out on being part of the in-group.[14] People do not want to feel like they are missing out of being part of the belonging group with respect to video games, which causes a video game addiction.[14] When people align their social identities with the video game they are playing, they fear that not playing enough will outcast them from the group they are playing with, leading to the fear of missing out on being a dedicated member of the community.[14]

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