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Review
. 2021 Mar-Apr;43(2):203-209.
doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0870.

Fear of missing out (FOMO): overview, theoretical underpinnings, and literature review on relations with severity of negative affectivity and problematic technology use

Jon D Elhai  1   2   3 , Haibo Yang  1 , Christian Montag  4
Affiliations
Review

Fear of missing out (FOMO): overview, theoretical underpinnings, and literature review on relations with severity of negative affectivity and problematic technology use

Jon D Elhai et al. Braz J Psychiatry. 2021 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

This article discusses the fear of missing out (FOMO) on rewarding experiences, an important psychological construct in contemporary times. We present an overview of the FOMO construct and its operational definition and measurement. Then, we review recent empirical research on FOMO's relationship with levels of online social engagement, problematic technology and internet communication use, negative affectivity, and sociodemographic variables. Additionally, we discuss theoretical conceptualizations regarding possible causes of FOMO and how FOMO may drive problematic internet technology use. Finally, we discuss future directions for the empirical study of FOMO.

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Conflict of interest statement

JDE receives royalties for several books published on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); occasionally serves as a paid, expert witness on PTSD legal cases. CM has performed grant reviews for several agencies; has edited journal sections and articles; has given academic lectures in clinical or scientific venues or companies; has generated books or book chapters for publishers of mental health texts (for some of these activities he received royalties, but never from the gaming or social media industry); is part of a discussion circle (Digitalität und Verantwortung: https://about.fb.com/de/news/h/gespraechskreis-digitalitaet-und-verantwortung/) debating ethical questions linked to social media, digitalization and society/democracy at Facebook (no salary); and is currently on the scientific advisory board of the Nymphenburg Group (nymphenburg.de; for this activity he is financially compensated). The other author reports no conflicts of interest.

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References

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