Dispositional and online-specific Fear of Missing Out are associated with the development of IUD symptoms in different internet applications

Abstract

Background and aims An increasing number of people experience negative consequences from the excessive use of different Internet applications or sites (e.g., Instagram, League of Legends, YouTube). These consequences have been referred to as specific Internet Use Disorders (IUDs). The present study aims to examine the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on rewarding experiences with respect to specific Internet activities. FoMO has been found to mediate the link between psychopathology and symptoms of Internet Communication Disorder (ICD). However, the role of FoMO in other IUDs is controversial. Methods The current study (N = 7,990) consecutively screened in vocational schools) analyzed the associations between online-specific state-FoMO, general trait-FoMO, mental health, and IUD symptoms in a structural equation model. After testing the model for the entire sample of Internet users, it was analyzed separately for the two main user groups: Social Networking Site (SNS) users and gamers. Results The proposed model explained 42.0% of the variance in IUD symptoms in the total sample, 46.8% for SNS users, and 32.8% for gamers. Results suggest that impaired mental health and high trait-FoMO predict IUD symptoms. For both SNS users and gamers, trait-FoMO mediated the link between low mental health and IUD, whereas state-FoMO mediated the link between trait-FoMO and IUD in both user groups. Discussion Our results partly support the theoretical model of specific IUDs, highlighting trait-FoMO as a predisposing fear of disconnection related to general mental health. Online-specific FoMO appears to contribute to problematic Internet use mainly because of its link to the general fear of disconnection. Moreover, the described mechanism seems to be comparable for both females and males. Conclusions FoMO is a multidimensional construct underlying IUD symptoms related to the use of socially gratifying, but distinct Internet applications. FoMO and psychopathology should be targeted together in prevention and treatment plans of IUDs.

The double-edged sword effects of active social media use on loneliness: The roles of interpersonal satisfaction and fear of missing out

“…The SEM results showed that state-FoMO did not predict loneliness, but trait-FoMO positively predicted loneliness, suggesting that trait-FoMO rather than state-FoMO increased the risk of loneliness. The results support the view of Wegmann et al (2017) that FoMO is indeed a complex construct and that trait-FoMO is more problematic than state-FoMO (Röttinger et al, 2021). The results of the present study also showed that interpersonal relationship satisfaction was associated with low trait-FoMO but not significantly associated with state-FoMO.…”

“…State-FoMO refers to the concerns about missing information online. It is an unstable cognitive bias apparent during certain online activities, including social media use (Wegmann et al, 2017 ; Röttinger et al, 2021 ). That is, state-FoMO is directly caused by frequent internet usage (Wegmann et al, 2017 ).…”

Fear of missing out (FOMO) associates with reduced cortical thickness in core regions of the posterior default mode network and higher levels of problematic smartphone and social media use

“…In line with a growing number of studies we observed a positive association between higher levels of FOMO and more problematic smartphone and social media usage. On the one hand, FOMO has for instance been associated with development of problematic usage of a number of internet applications, including problematic internet usage (Röttinger et al, 2021) and smartphone addiction (Alinejad, Parizad, Yarmohammadi, & Radfar, 2022). However, on the other hand, an increasing number of studies underscore the role of social and self-related cognitions in this association such that the association between FOMO and smartphone addiction is mediated by loneliness (Alinejad et al, 2022) while FOMO mediates the association between parental support, self-construal, self-concept clarity or interpersonal sensitivity with problematic smartphone use (Kim, 2022; Lin et al, 2021; Servidio, Sinatra, Griffiths, & Monacis, 2021).…”

“…Accumulating evidence from different lines of research suggests an association between dispositional FOMO and problematic Internet use - in particular in the domains of social media and smartphone use - as well as associated emotional dysregulations and detrimental effects on daily life (Röttinger et al, 2021; Akbari et al, 2021; Rozgonjuk, Sindermann, Elhai, & Montag, 2020; Elhai, Yang, Rozgonjuk, & Montag, 2020; Yuan, Elhai, & Hall, 2021). Current conceptualizations propose that FOMO represents a general trait-like predisposition rendering individuals at an increased risk for excessive and problematic social media engagement and ultimately the development and maintenance of Internet Use Disorders (Akbari et al, 2021; Elhai et al, 2021; Röttinger et al, 2021). For associations between FOMO and age, gender and the Big Five of Personality see (Rozgonjuk, Sindermann, Elhai, & Montag, 2021)…”

Problematic Social Networking Site use-effects on mental health and the brain

“…FoMO also played an important role in increased sensitivity to stress which is associated with neglect and problematic SNS use, and these in turn were associated with negative emotions ( 67 ). Finally, FoMO mediated the association between mental health and symptoms of Internet Use Disorder (IUD) ( 68 ).…”