A recent study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology sheds light on the deeper implications of the fear of missing out (FOMO). It reveals that FOMO isn’t solely about missing fun events but is driven by concerns about missed opportunities to connect with important social groups and loved ones. The research shows that this anxiety often arises from worries about how absence might affect relationships and a sense of belonging, even when the missed event itself isn’t particularly enjoyable.

FOMO has gained significant attention for its psychological impact, often linked to compulsive smartphone use, decreased well-being, and risky behaviors like distracted driving. While earlier research associated FOMO with loneliness and a strong need for connection, this study delves into its specific triggers. According to the researchers, FOMO is driven not only by regret over missed enjoyable experiences, but also by underlying fears about social relationships and future acceptance within groups.

Jacqueline R. Rifkin, assistant professor of marketing at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, explained her motivation for the study. “I'm intrigued by how time allocation affects well-being,” she said. “Her curiosity motivates her to investigate how missing out on events, particularly those with loved ones, affects people emotionally.” “This involves investigating the consequences of missing events and the resulting anxieties, especially when it comes to relationships with people we care about.”

The research study enlisted the participation of 5,441 individuals through online platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk and Prolific, and consisted of seven experiments designed to explore the complexities of FOMO. These studies used a variety of approaches, including hypothetical scenarios and real-world social media browsing, to understand the psychological underpinnings of FOMO.

The findings indicated that FOMO is more intense when people miss events involving close friends or significant social groups than when missing gatherings with acquaintances or irrelevant individuals. FOMO was intensified by events that fostered social bonding, like team-building activities, even if they were difficult or unenjoyable. This suggests that the anxiety is less about the event itself and more about the perceived loss of connection and shared experiences, which could lead to diminished closeness or exclusion from the group.

Rifkin noted, “It was surprising to find that people could feel significant FOMO for events that weren’t enjoyable, like funerals or consoling a sad friend. This highlights that FOMO isn’t about the fun missed but the connections built through shared experiences, even emotional or difficult ones.”

Social media played a significant role in intensifying FOMO. Seeing posts about missed events often triggered fears about how the absence might impact relationships or perceptions of value within a group. However, these concerns were often exaggerated. When imagining a friend missing the same event, participants judged the social consequences as less severe, revealing a cognitive bias where individuals overestimate their personal costs of missing out.

The study also clarified how FOMO differs from related concepts like regret or ostracism. Unlike regret, which focuses on missed rewards, or ostracism, which involves active exclusion, FOMO centers on anxieties about future social bonds. This phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that individuals often experience FOMO in situations where they perceive an event, regardless of its enjoyability, as a chance for social bonding and connection with others.

One promising finding was that reflecting on past social connections reduced FOMO. Participants who engaged in this exercise reported less FOMO after encountering social media posts about missed events. This approach proved more effective than strategies like imagining future connections or adopting a third-person perspective. “Rifkin pointed out that reflecting on past experiences of belonging can help reduce anxiety caused by feelings of exclusion.”

The study has limitations despite its valuable findings. The participant pool lacked cultural and age diversity, and some findings were correlational rather than causal. Future research could explore FOMO across cultures with varying social norms or investigate its presence in non-social contexts like career or financial decisions.

Rifkin concluded, “FOMO is not a new phenomenon but one amplified by modern technology. Social media has made reminders of what we’ve missed constant and inescapable. By understanding these anxieties, we can better navigate them and improve individual and collective well-being.”

Through her broader research, Rifkin hopes to uncover ways people unintentionally undermine their happiness and offer strategies for enhancing personal and societal well-being. This knowledge can also guide businesses in fostering stronger connections with their customers, recognizing that satisfied customers are often the most loyal.

Reference:

1. “Anxiety About the Social Consequences of Missed Group Experiences Intensifies Fear of Missing Out (FOMO),” by Jacqueline R. Rifkin, Cindy Chan, and Barbara E. Kahn. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000418

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(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)