Anxiety and stress severity are related to greater fear of missing out on rewarding experiences: A latent profile analysis

Distraction or motivation? Unraveling the role of fear of missing out on college students' learning engagement

BACKGROUND

Despite the recognition of the impact of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on learning engagement, research conclusions remain inconsistent. This inconsistency may be due to a lack of exploration of the underlying mechanisms and the singularity of research perspectives.

METHODS

Drawing from motivational dynamics model for learning engagement, this study investigated the relationship between FoMO and learning engagement from both variable-centered and person-centered perspectives, and further explored the mediating role of self-control. A total of 1,510 college students from eastern China were selected via an online platform, including 642 males and 868 females.

RESULTS

The results from the variable-centered analysis indicated that FoMO had a significant positive direct effect on learning engagement (effect = 0.293, 95% CI = [0.185, 0.401]). FoMO negatively predicted self-control, which in turn had a negative impact on learning engagement (effect = -0.375, 95% CI = [-0.456, -0.295]). This suggests that self-control acts as a masking effect between FoMO and learning engagement. The person-centered results suggest the presence of four latent profiles of FoMO: the low trait-FoMO low state-FoMO group, the high trait-FoMO low state-FoMO group, the low trait-FoMO high state-FoMO group, and the high trait-FoMO high state-FoMO group. Specifically, compared to the low trait-FoMO low state-FoMO group, self-control acts as a masking role between the low trait-FoMO high state-FoMO group, the high trait-FoMO high state-FoMO group and learning engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

FoMO exhibits a "dual-edged sword effect". Educators should adopt diverse instructional methods to leverage the positive aspects of FoMO while guiding students in self-control training to mitigate its negative effects to enhance college students' learning engagement.

The relationship between fear of missing out, digital technology use, and psychological well-being: A scoping review of conceptual and empirical issues

Given the rise of digital technology and its assumed impact on psychological well-being, this scoping review systematically examines the literature on Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), which is assumed to play a pivotal role in this dynamic. Although adverse effects of FoMO are commonly assumed, there is still no consensus on the nature of the phenomenon or its relations with psychological well-being and digital technology use, making a scoping review essential. To address this need, we comprehensively assess the conceptualizations of the construct of FoMO and its roles in relation to well-being and digital technology use. We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Ebsco/APA PsycINFO, and Web of Science (period 2013 to July 7, 2023), screening 4121 articles at the title and abstract level and assessing 342 full-text articles for eligibility, ultimately including 106 articles. The review revealed a fragmented FoMO literature, emphasizing the need for conceptual clarity to address critical gaps and inconsistencies in existing research. Consensus exists on FoMO's essence-an unpleasant feeling arising from missed social experiences driven by activity comparison. However, debates include FoMO's associated affective states and conceptual boundaries, as well as the need to disentangle FoMO as a trait or state. The review also underscored FoMO's multifaceted roles in well-being and digital technology use, highlighting the need for causal research, theoretical guidance, and unified terminology to advance understanding in the FoMO literature.

A qualitative systematic review of adolescent's perceptions of sleep: Awareness of, barriers to and strategies for promoting healthy sleep patterns

AIMS

To consolidate adolescents' perspectives regarding various aspects of sleep and offer insights to promote healthier sleep habits during their critical developmental years.

METHODS/DATA SOURCES

Six electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO and Web of Science) were searched from their inception dates to June 2023. Data were extracted and meta-summarised using Sandelowski and Barroso's approach and synthesised using Thomas and Harden's thematic analysis framework.

RESULTS

Meta-synthesis from 11 peer-reviewed published studies identified four main themes: (1) Awareness and understanding of sleep's significance, (2) The shadows and radiance of slumber, (3) Traversing the sleepscape: trouble bubbles and (4) Illuminating the path: Guiding lights to enhanced sleep.

CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS

Our review findings suggest a lack of awareness and guidance regarding the significance of sleep and the cultivation of good sleep habits among adolescents. Identified barriers to adequate sleep encompass various factors, including overthinking, poor habits, family/environmental influences, extensive technology use, peer pressure, the fear of missing out, academic demands and involvement in extracurricular activities. Strategies to improve adolescents' sleep health involve multiple sleep strategies, including sleep education, workshops/seminars, parental involvement, incorporating digital well-being practices, the promotion of relaxation techniques and the provision of essential resources. Prioritising sleep health and implementing targeted interventions are key steps to empower adolescents, create supportive environments and shape a healthier future generation. Future research endeavours should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and exploring the influence of cultural factors.

IMPACT

There exists a notable lack of awareness and guidance regarding the significance of sleep and the cultivation of good sleep habits among adolescents. Barriers to achieving adequate sleep among adolescents include overthinking, poor habits, family/environmental influences, extensive technology use, peer pressure, the fear of missing out, academic demands and involvement in extracurricular activities. The collaboration between healthcare institutions, professionals and educational institutions is crucial to facilitate (1) the implementation of sleep education workshops/seminars targeting adolescents, (2) increased parental involvement and role-modelling to instil good sleep practices among adolescents and (3) enhanced integration of digital well-being practices, the promotion of relaxation techniques and accessibility to essential sleep hygiene resources.

REPORTING METHOD

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

TRIAL AND PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

This review was registered on the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023403775).

Exploring the role of fear of missing out in coping and risk-taking among alcohol use disorder and general young adult populations

A high level of fear of missing out (FOMO) is related to many adverse emotions and behaviors, including stress, maladaptive coping, risk-taking, and alcohol consumption. However, previous research on FOMO has not considered particularly vulnerable cohorts like individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this project, we have conducted two preliminary studies (N1 = 356; N2 = 66) investigating the role of FOMO in alcohol-related coping strategy in a general population of young adults as well as a clinical sample of AUD patients. Results showed that FOMO is a positive predictor of alcohol coping in both studied samples, and it is a positive predictor of health risk-taking among people with AUD. The study identifies high FOMO as a risk factor for adopting maladaptive coping strategies, specifically alcohol coping.

A Daily Diary Investigation of the Fear of Missing Out and Diminishing Daily Emotional Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Cognitive Reappraisal

With modern societies becoming ever-increasingly interconnected due to technology and media, we have gained unprecedented access and exposure to other people's lives. This has resulted in a greater desire to constantly be socially connected with the activities of others, or the fear of missing out (FoMO). While much of the present available research has established the association between FoMO and diminished emotional well-being, little has been done to identify protective factors that can help one cope with the negative psychological consequences of FoMO. Utilizing data from a 7-day diary study of a large sample of young adults (N = 261), the current study aimed to examine the moderating role of cognitive reappraisal in attenuating diminished emotional well-being associated with FoMO. Multilevel modeling showed that cognitive reappraisal attenuated the day-to-day within-person associations between daily FoMO and indicators of daily emotional well-being such as negative affectivity, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Temporomandibular disorder and somatic symptoms: Relations to 'fear of missing out' and other negative emotional states

OBJECTIVE

The association between the 'fear of missing out (FOMO)' and physical symptoms has not been widely explored. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between FOMO and other negative emotions with Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and somatic symptoms in young adults. The correlations between the various physical and emotional variables were also established.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

TMD and somatic symptoms were appraised with the Short-form Fonseca Anamnestic Index, quintessential five TMD symptoms of the Diagnostic Criteria (DC)/TMD, and Patient Health Questionnaire-15. FOMO and other negative emotional states were assessed with the FOMO Scale and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). Data were evaluated using non-parametric tests/correlation and regression analysis (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

While only negative affectivity (total DASS), anxiety, and stress differed significantly between those without and with TMDs, significant variances in FOMO and all DASS-21 constructs were discerned between individuals without and with somatization.  Conclusions: Individuals with orofacial pain and more severe somatic symptoms have higher levels of negative emotions including FOMO. While somatization increased the prospect of TMDs, being female, presence of TMDs, and negative affectivity were risk factors for somatization in young adults.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Asian young adults appear to be disposed to somatization, and TMDs may be a form of functional somatic syndromes. Recognition of somatic symptoms and emotional distress, including FOMO, is essential for person-centric TMD care.

Effects of fear of missing out on inhibitory control in social media context: evidence from event-related potentials

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of fear of missing out (FoMO) on inhibitory control in social media context. The present study used a two-choice oddball task combined with event-related potentials (ERPs) technology to measure inhibitory control. Based on the Fear of Missing Out Scale, participants with varying degrees of FoMO were recruited to complete two studies. A total of 78 participants in Study 1 completed a two-choice oddball task (stimuli "W" or "M"). The results showed that FoMO did not have a significant impact on general inhibitory control at both the behavioral and electrophysiological levels. To further examine the effect of FoMO in social media context. In Study 2, 72 participants completed a modified two-choice oddball task with three types of pictures (high and low social media-related and neutral). The behavioral results revealed that as FoMO scores increased, inhibitory control decreased. ERP analysis revealed that with higher FoMO scores, social media-related pictures elicited larger N2 amplitude and smaller P3 amplitude, but not for neutral pictures. This suggests that FoMO undermines inhibitory control by consuming more cognitive resources in the early conflict detection stage and leading to insufficient cognitive resources in the later stages of the inhibitory process. These findings suggest that FoMO can undermine inhibitory control in the social media context. Considering the indispensable use of social media in the digital age, addressing and understanding the influence of FoMO on inhibitory control could be essential for promoting healthy digital behaviors and cognitive functions.

COVID-19 lockdown stress and problematic social networking sites use among quarantined college students in China: A chain mediation model based on the stressor-strain-outcome framework

The COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with a global increase in problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU). By drawing on transactional stress theory and applying the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework, we proposed and verified a chain mediation model to explore the mediating roles of fear of missing out (FoMO) and future anxiety (FA) in the relationship between COVID-19 lockdown stress (CL stress) and PSNSU. Our sample of 670 quarantined college students in China responded to a COVID-19 student stress questionnaire, a social network addiction scale, a fear of missing out scale, and a dark future scale. The results revealed that (1) CL stress significantly positively predicted PSNSU, (2) both FoMO and FA mediated the relationship between CL stress and PSNSU, (3) FoMO significantly positively predicted FA, and (4) a full chain mediation was observed between CL stress and PSNSU.

The COVID-19 related stress and social network addiction among Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model

Based on social cognitive theory and gender differences, this study verified a moderated mediation model to explore the relationship between the COVID-19 related stress (CRS) and social network addiction (SNA) and evaluate the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO) and the moderating role of gender. A questionnaire survey was conducted, including 702 Chinese university students.This study used PROCESS to test the hypothesis model.The results showed that the CRS significantly and positively affected the SNA of college students and FoMO played a complementary mediating role. Moreover, the analysis of the moderated mediation model showed that gender moderated the relationship between FoMO and SNA; the effect of FoMO was stronger on the SNA of male college students than that of females. The results not only enhanced our understanding of the internal influencing mechanism of the relationship between CRS and SNA but also considered gender differences. In addition, some suggestions were proposed.

The Relationship between Stress Perception and Problematic Social Network Use among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of the Fear of Missing Out

Based on the interaction of person-affect-cognition-execution model, this study examined the association between stress perception and problematic social network use among Chinese college students and explored the mediating effect of the fear of missing out (FoMO) on the relationship between stress perception and problematic social network use. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 554 students from nine universities in China. We found that stress perception was significantly positively correlated with problematic social network use and FoMO (r = 0.38, 0.46; p < 0.001), and FoMO was significantly positively correlated with problematic social network use (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). FoMO mediated the relationship between stress perception and problematic social network use. Conclusion: Stress perception has a negative impact on college students' problematic social network use via the mediating effect of FoMO. Practical implications that reveal the college students' problematic social network use were discussed as well.

The relationship between neuroticism and passive use of mobile social networks among Chinese young adults: The mediating role of fear of missing out and online social support

Many studies have shown that passive use of mobile social networks affects people's physical and mental health. However, few studies have explored the association between neuroticism and passive use of social networks, and the mediating factors that may indirectly contribute to this relationship. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the relationship between neuroticism and passive use of mobile social networks and explore the sequential mediating role of fear of missing out (FOMO) and online social support. In the present study, data from a total of 531 Chinese undergraduates were collected by using the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory, Online Social Support Scale, the Fear of Missing Out Scale, and Passive Use of Mobile Social Networks Scale. The results showed that neuroticism positively predicted passive use of mobile social networks through the indirect paths of FOMO and online social support and the chain mediating path of "online social support-FOMO".

Underscoring the F in FoMO: How does anxiety sensitivity contribute to fear of missing out?

Fear of missing out (FoMO) is a prevalent phenomenon associated with a range of mental health symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. To our knowledge, the question of whether FoMO can be explained by other well-known mechanistic variables-namely, loneliness, rumination, and anxiety sensitivity (AS) - has not been previously evaluated. The current study investigated the predictive power of loneliness, rumination, and AS for explaining variance in FoMO within two independent samples of undergraduate students at a large Northeastern university. Participants completed an online battery of questionnaires. In Study 1, it was found that loneliness and rumination offered significant prediction of FoMO when AS was not considered in the model; however, when these three predictors were considered together, only AS offered significant, non-redundant prediction. Study 2 revealed that both rumination and AS offered significant prediction of FoMO, with AS offering stronger unique prediction. Such findings provide a new frame for understanding the nature of the relatively new concept of FoMO, and in particular, suggest that it may be important to consider AS and rumination in future studies.

The relationship between basic psychological needs and phubbing: Fear of missing out as the mediator

The aim of this study was to find out the association between basic psychological needs, fear of missing out (FOMO) and phubbing in university students with problematic smartphone use. Through the purposive sampling technique, a sample of 240 participants (men, M_age  = 20.93 years, SD = 1.07 years; women, M_age  = 20.76 years, SD = 0.89 years) was recruited from two private and two government university sectors of Lahore, Pakistan. Results were generated by using Multiple Hierarchical Regression, and Amos Path Analysis. The study depicted that psychological needs and FOMO emerged as predictors of phubbing. Furthermore, it was supported that fear of missing out acted as a mediator between psychological needs and phubbing. The findings of the study have yielded vital implications as a thorough understanding of problematic smartphone use will help raise awareness and educate the youth about its detrimental effects.