Exploring the influence of uncontrolled social media use, fear of missing out, fear of better options, and fear of doing anything on consumer purchase intent

Abstract

The rapid evolution of the digital era has resulted in new theoretical models that seek answers to consumer behavior, but only some have been empirically validated. The social theory of fear of (FO) has gained notoriety as a type of social anxiety, resulting in psychological dependence on social media (SNS). These social anxieties transcend and are used as strategic resources to activate quick consumer responses. However, three forces act in the study of FO that positively or negatively impact decision‐making: (a) fear of missing out (FoMO), (b) fear of better options (FoBO), and (c) fear of doing anything (FoDA). The literature has analyzed the positive implications of FoMO on consumers' decision‐making from different perspectives, but there needs to be a gap in analyzing how FoMO affects consumers. More analysis of the forces that affect decision‐making through FoBO and FoDA acts is needed. Consequently, this study examined how the FoMO, FoBO, and FoDA affect the purchase intention of SNS users. The roles of SNS usage and anticipated emotions as forces that trigger FO were analyzed. Finally, we examined whether motivation to participate in social media is a force that can moderate how consumers trigger FO. An electronic survey of 543 participants and active social media users revealed that social media use, anticipated emotions, and motivation to participate are forces that explain how they trigger FO through their first‐stage FoMO on consumers. The results reflect theoretical and practical implications by concluding that the FoMO for marketing purposes is significant in decision‐making. However, FoBO and FoDA inhibit the consumer's ability to commit to a decision.