IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i4p1974-d501391.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Well-Being and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on Digital Content in the Time of COVID-19: A Correlational Analysis among University Students

Author

Listed:
  • Ceren Hayran

    (Marketing Department, School of Business, Ozyegin University, Nişantepe Mah, Orman Sok., Çekmeköy, 34794 Istanbul, Turkey)

  • Lalin Anik

    (Marketing Area, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, 100 Darden Blvd, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA)

Abstract

The majority of research on the fear of missing out (FOMO) has focused on understanding how social media posts about attractive unattended experiences taking place in the physical world (e.g., a friend’s vacation) influence individuals’ affective states. With quarantine measures in place, and in the absence of travel and party photos on social media, do individuals feel they are missing out on enjoyable experiences? The current work shows that FOMO has not disappeared during the pandemic, even when socially distancing at home, but has been replaced by feelings towards new online activities (e.g., online concerts, virtual gatherings). As a consequence, we find that FOMO threatens well-being by causing important psychological and health issues, such as sleep deprivation, loss of focus, declined productivity, and finding relief in knowing that others have difficulty keeping up with abundant digital content. Importantly, we find these consequential effects both during the initial (May 2020) and late stages (December 2020) of the pandemic. With excessive Internet use and virtual FOMO likely to be a continuing reality of life, questions remain as to how one can refrain from its negative effects and stay healthy during the pandemic and in the post-pandemic era. We discuss remedies and suggest new research avenues that may help elevate the negative consequences of FOMO on well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Ceren Hayran & Lalin Anik, 2021. "Well-Being and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on Digital Content in the Time of COVID-19: A Correlational Analysis among University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1974-:d:501391
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1974/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1974/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sarah Dryhurst & Claudia R. Schneider & John Kerr & Alexandra L. J. Freeman & Gabriel Recchia & Anne Marthe van der Bles & David Spiegelhalter & Sander van der Linden, 2020. "Risk perceptions of COVID-19 around the world," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7-8), pages 994-1006, August.
    2. Melissa R. Marselle & Katherine N. Irvine & Sara L. Warber, 2013. "Walking for Well-Being: Are Group Walks in Certain Types of Natural Environments Better for Well-Being than Group Walks in Urban Environments?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-26, October.
    3. Anat Keinan & Ran Kivetz, 2011. "Productivity Orientation and the Consumption of Collectable Experiences," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(6), pages 935-950.
    4. Vincenza Capone & Daniela Caso & Anna Rosa Donizzetti & Fortuna Procentese, 2020. "University Student Mental Well-Being during COVID-19 Outbreak: What Are the Relationships between Information Seeking, Perceived Risk and Personal Resources Related to the Academic Context?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Maria Esther Irigoyen-Camacho & Maria Consuelo Velazquez-Alva & Marco Antonio Zepeda-Zepeda & Maria Fernanda Cabrer-Rosales & Irina Lazarevich & Antonio Castaño-Seiquer, 2020. "Effect of Income Level and Perception of Susceptibility and Severity of COVID-19 on Stay-at-Home Preventive Behavior in a Group of Older Adults in Mexico City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-16, October.
    6. Antonio Baldassarre & Gabriele Giorgi & Federico Alessio & Lucrezia Ginevra Lulli & Giulio Arcangeli & Nicola Mucci, 2020. "Stigma and Discrimination (SAD) at the Time of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-29, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dariusz Masłowski & Ewa Kulińska & Gennadij Komada, 2022. "Impact of Alternative Forms of Transport on Urban Freight Congestion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-21, September.
    2. Natalia Sauer & Agnieszka Sałek & Wojciech Szlasa & Tomasz Ciecieląg & Jakub Obara & Sara Gaweł & Dominik Marciniak & Katarzyna Karłowicz-Bodalska, 2022. "The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Well-Being of College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Jinjie Li & Jiayin Qi & Lianren Wu & Nan Shi & Xu Li & Yuxin Zhang & Yinyin Zheng, 2021. "The Continued Use of Social Commerce Platforms and Psychological Anxiety—The Roles of Influencers, Informational Incentives and FoMO," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-19, November.
    4. Miguel à ngel Albalá Genol & María-Laura Sánchez-Pujalte & Edgardo Etchezahar & Marian Durao, 2023. "Spanish Trainees Teachers’ Attitudes Toward the Use of Technology in Education: Variables Involved," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    5. Ziao Hu & Jun Li & Ling Pan & Xiaoying Zhang, 2022. "COVID-19 Lockdown Stress and the Mental Health of College Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Hussain, Sajjad & Raza, Ali & Haider, Ali & Ishaq, Muhammad Ishtiaq & Talpur, Qurat-ul-ain, 2023. "Fear of missing out and compulsive buying behavior: The moderating role of mindfulness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dian-Jeng Li & Nai-Ying Ko & Yu-Ping Chang & Cheng-Fang Yen & Yi-Lung Chen, 2021. "Mediating Effects of Risk Perception on Association between Social Support and Coping with COVID-19: An Online Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Annika H. Davidsen & Maria S. Petersen, 2021. "The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Mental Well-Being and Working Life among Faroese Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Liliana Cori & Olivia Curzio & Fulvio Adorni & Federica Prinelli & Marianna Noale & Caterina Trevisan & Loredana Fortunato & Andrea Giacomelli & Fabrizio Bianchi, 2021. "Fear of COVID-19 for Individuals and Family Members: Indications from the National Cross-Sectional Study of the EPICOVID19 Web-Based Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Maayan Shacham & Lee Greenblatt-Kimron & Yaira Hamama-Raz & Leslie R. Martin & Oren Peleg & Menachem Ben-Ezra & Eitan Mijiritsky, 2021. "Increased COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy and Health Awareness amid COVID-19 Vaccinations Programs in Israel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-11, April.
    5. Bonny Yee-Man Wong & Tai-Hing Lam & Agnes Yuen-Kwan Lai & Man Ping Wang & Sai-Yin Ho, 2021. "Perceived Benefits and Harms of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Well-Being and Their Sociodemographic Disparities in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-14, January.
    6. Stella E. Hines & Katherine H. Chin & Danielle R. Glick & Emerson M. Wickwire, 2021. "Trends in Moral Injury, Distress, and Resilience Factors among Healthcare Workers at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Bayarmagnai Weinstein & Alan R. da Silva & Dimitrios E. Kouzoukas & Tanima Bose & Gwang Jin Kim & Paola A. Correa & Santhi Pondugula & YoonJung Lee & Jihoo Kim & David O. Carpenter, 2021. "Precision Mapping of COVID-19 Vulnerable Locales by Epidemiological and Socioeconomic Risk Factors, Developed Using South Korean Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-14, January.
    8. Frederick A. J. Simon & Maria Schenk & Denise Palm & Frank Faltraco & Johannes Thome, 2021. "The Collateral Damage of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Mental Health and Psychiatry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-10, April.
    9. Ana María Rodríguez-López & Susana Rubio-Valdehita & Eva María Díaz-Ramiro, 2021. "Influence of the CoViD-19 Pandemic on Mental Workload and Burnout of Fashion Retailing Workers in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-18, January.
    10. Sabrina Cipolletta & Gabriela Rios Andreghetti & Giovanna Mioni, 2022. "Risk Perception towards COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-25, April.
    11. José Miguel Mansilla Domínguez & Isabel Font Jiménez & Angel Belzunegui Eraso & David Peña Otero & David Díaz Pérez & Ana María Recio Vivas, 2020. "Risk Perception of COVID−19 Community Transmission among the Spanish Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-15, December.
    12. Sofia Bastoni & Christian Wrede & Achraf Ammar & Annemarie Braakman-Jansen & Robbert Sanderman & Andrea Gaggioli & Khaled Trabelsi & Liwa Masmoudi & Omar Boukhris & Jordan M. Glenn & Bassem Bouaziz & , 2021. "Psychosocial Effects and Use of Communication Technologies during Home Confinement in the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy and The Netherlands," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-12, March.
    13. Julio Emilio Marco-Franco & Pedro Pita-Barros & David Vivas-Orts & Silvia González-de-Julián & David Vivas-Consuelo, 2021. "COVID-19, Fake News, and Vaccines: Should Regulation Be Implemented?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-11, January.
    14. Won Choi & Sang-joon Lee & Woo-je Lee & Eun-mi Beak & Ki-youn Kim, 2022. "Job Satisfaction Level of Safety and Health Manager in Construction Industry: Pandemic Period," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-15, May.
    15. Peng-Wei Wang & Yi-Lung Chen & Yu-Ping Chang & Chia-Fen Wu & Wei-Hsin Lu & Cheng-Fang Yen, 2021. "Sources of COVID-19-Related Information in People with Various Levels of Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors in Taiwan: A Latent Profile Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    16. Yazmín Hernández-Díaz & Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza & Ana Fresán & Thelma Beatriz González-Castro & Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate & Isela Esther Juárez-Rojop & María Lilia López-Narváez & José Jaime Mart, 2021. "Knowledge, Emotions and Stressors in Front-Line Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, May.
    17. Stephanie Lange & Claire-Marie Altrock & Emily Gossmann & Jörg M. Fegert & Andreas Jud, 2022. "COVID-19—What Price Do Children Pay? An Analysis of Economic and Social Policy Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-15, June.
    18. Pan, Jing Yu & Liu, Dahai, 2022. "Mask-wearing intentions on airplanes during COVID-19 – Application of theory of planned behavior model," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 32-44.
    19. Ali Zackery & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah & Zahra Heidari Darani & Shiva Ghasemi, 2022. "COVID-19 Research in Business and Management: A Review and Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-32, August.
    20. Niculaescu, Corina E. & Sangiorgi, Ivan & Bell, Adrian R., 2023. "Does personal experience with COVID-19 impact investment decisions? Evidence from a survey of US retail investors," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1974-:d:501391. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.