Fear of missing out (FoMO): the relationship between FoMO, alcohol use, and alcohol-related consequences in college students

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), alcohol use, and negative alcohol-related consequences among college students. Participants: Participants were two samples of undergraduate students ages 18-25 (Study 1 n=182; Study 2 n=250). Methods: In both studies, participants completed the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs) and the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) in which they reported the number of negative alcohol-related consequences experienced over the past three months. Alcohol was measured retrospectively in Study 1, and prospectively in Study 2 using a 13-day Internet daily diary. Results: Across both studies, higher FoMOs was associated with experiencing more negative alcohol-related consequences but not overall higher alcohol use. In Study 2, higher FoMOs was also associated with consuming a higher quantity of alcoholic drinks per session. Conclusion: To reduce alcohol-related harm within the college student population, it may be important to address social factors such as FoMO that may drive people towards riskier behavior surrounding alcohol use.

Conformity Consumption Behavior and FoMO

“…Existing studies dealing with FoMO have been published in various academic fields, including psychology, management information system (MIS), and medicine [13][14][15][25][26][27]. Specifically, studies on the FoMO phenomenon in the field of psychology mainly describe FoMO as a kind of severe symptom like obsession toward the mainstream [13,17]. In the MIS field, FoMO is related to an emotional change, which leads to excessive use of social media and smartphones [15,25,26].…”

“…In addition, FoMO has been held as an addictive psychological symptom in medical fields such as psychopathology and psychiatry [27]. Additionally, a small number of studies have paid attention to alcoholism or psychological obsessive symptoms in consumption behavior, suggesting that FoMO could prompt consumption by putting pressure on consumers' decisions that lead to compulsive or impulsive behavior [16,17].…”

“…This can be explained through the concept of fear of missing out (FoMO), which describes a psychological state in which people worry about losing touch with some social events, experiences, and interactions around them [13,14]. Research related to FoMO has mainly described it as a kind of mental state and emotional change which could lead to excessive social media, smartphone use, and alcohol consumption [15][16][17]. This research has revealed that FoMO has both direct and indirect effects on people's attitudes and behaviors.…”

Sleep in the Social World of College Students: Bridging Interpersonal Stress and Fear of Missing Out with Mental Health

“…Although much of the current literature correlates FoMO with social media use [28][29][30][31], FoMO as a construct can more broadly be applied to any lack of connectedness or closeness with others. Based on self-determination theory, psychological health and self-regulation are contingent on three basic principles-competence, personal initiative, and connectedness with others [32].…”

“…For instance, a number of anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety disorder and separation anxiety disorder, include dimensions of worry related to what others are doing while out of one's presence [33]. Moreover, both FoMO and anxiety disorders are inversely correlated with a number of similar negative outcomes, including poor mood, decreased sense of life satisfaction, and dysregulated sleep [27,29,30].…”