Teens addicted to social media aren't the only people experiencing the Fear of Missing Out, otherwise known as FoMO. In fact, not age, but aspects of self-perception—namely, loneliness, low self-esteem, and low self-compassion—were more closely linked to the social fear that other people are having fun without you, according to a recent Washington State University study.
“FoMO is not necessarily a problem for adolescents or young adults. It's really about individual differences, regardless of age," said Chris Barry, a WSU psychology professor and the study's lead author. “We expected FoMO to be higher in younger age groups, mainly because of the sheer amount of social development taking place at the time, but that's not what we found.”
Barry and co-author Megan Wong, a WSU student, conducted a survey of more than 400 people in the United States from various age groups ranging from 14 to 47, asking a series of questions related to self-perception, life satisfaction and social media use.
The researchers found that social media use was not a good predictor of FoMO. For example, two people with the same involvement in social media may be affected very differently:one may have few negative feelings about seeing their friends' activities, while the other may find it disturbing.
“Not all of us are equally susceptible to the Fear of Missing Out, but for those that are, social media can make it worse,” said Barry. “Social media allows you to witness what other people are doing and what is happening in their lives. If there is any concern about missing out, it will hurt to see it on social media.”
For people experiencing these kinds of issues, Barry suggested it might be good to cut back on social media use or shut it down altogether for a period of time.
The study found one positive side:While FoMO may have negative effects, it did not appear to be related to respondents' sense of life satisfaction. Barry said this indicates that FoMO is not an overwhelming social anxiety.
The researchers suggest that those seeking to reduce their feelings of FoMO should try to address their negative self-perceptions, such as practicing better self-compassion by seeing personal setbacks as opportunities for growth, taking steps to reduce loneliness, and shifting focus. from the experiences of others.
“Doing something about FoMO can help people foster a greater sense of true connection with others, reducing the sense of isolation. You can also try to be more in the moment, focusing on what's ahead of you rather than focusing on what's going on out there," Barry said.
