Fear of missing out
Also known as: fomo
Fear of missing out is the fear of missing out on something or falling behind others. The (often unconscious) assumption behind it is that missing out would cause us to be less happy. The term is usually referred to by the abbreviation fomo.
Fear of missing something on social media
The phenomenon occurs among many social media users. With the continuous flow of messages, they tend to check Twitter or Facebook at any unguarded moment. After all, not looking could mean missing out on important messages.
This fear of missing out is one of the factors that can lead to addiction to social media.
Social pressure
FOMO can also occur more generally in consumer behavior. This involves, for example, the social pressure to buy certain products that others have also purchased. Not owning a certain gadget or recently released phone might well mean you end up outside the group.
At the same time, in everyday life, we ourselves are constantly unconsciously trying to convince others to make especially the same choices as we do. Whether it's vacations, clubs or visiting a certain restaurant. One of the motivations behind telling about our choices is the hope that others will not want to miss out on this experience either. Sharing experiences you shouldn't miss creates mutual connection and status.
