ABSTRACT

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) has emerged as a significant psychological phenomenon in the digital era, particularly among students and young adults who are highly engaged with social media platforms. This study aims to investigate the underlying mechanism of FOMO by examining the interrelationships between social pressure, emotional anxiety, and behavioral engagement in digital environments. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, utilizing structured questionnaires measured on a Likert scale to assess FOMO-related dimensions. Data were analyzed using correlation and regression techniques to identify the strength and direction of relationships among variables.
The results revealed moderate to strong positive correlations among social pressure, emotional anxiety, and digital engagement behaviors (r = 0.26–0.57), indicating that individuals experiencing higher levels of perceived social pressure tend to report increased anxiety and more frequent social media use. Regression analysis further demonstrated that emotional anxiety significantly predicted FOMO levels, suggesting its central role as a mediating factor between social influence and behavioral responses. These findings support theoretical perspectives such as Self-Determination Theory and Social Comparison Theory, emphasizing the importance of social belonging and continuous comparison in shaping online behaviors.
In conclusion, FOMO operates as a multidimensional construct driven by interconnected psychological and social mechanisms. The study highlights the need for interventions aimed at reducing social pressure and managing emotional responses to improve digital well-being and prevent negative outcomes such as excessive screen time and sleep disruption. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature on digital psychology and provide practical implications for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers.

KEYWORDS

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Social Pressure, Emotional Anxiety, Digital Engagement, Young Adults
 

REFERENCES

1) Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841–1848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014
2) Ekvitayavetchanukul, P., Bhavani, C., Nath, N., Sharma, L., Aggarwal, G., Singh, R. (2024). Revolutionizing Healthcare: Telemedicine and Remote Diagnostics in the Era of Digital Health. In: Kumar, P., Singh, P., Diwakar, M., Garg, D. (eds) Healthcare Industry Assessment: Analyzing Risks, Security, and Reliability. Engineering Cyber-Physical Systems and Critical Infrastructures, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65434-3_11
3) Alt, D. (2015). College students’ academic motivation, media engagement and fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 49, 111–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.057
4) Elhai, J. D., Levine, J. C., Dvorak, R. D., & Hall, B. J. (2017). Fear of missing out, need for touch, anxiety and depression. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 509–516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.079
5) Ekvitayavetchanukul, P., & Ekvitayavetchanukul, P. (2025). AI-Driven Design Thinking: Transforming Learning Efficiency in Pre-Medical Education. Medical Research Archives, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i4.6410
6) Wegmann, E., Oberst, U., Stodt, B., & Brand, M. (2017). Online-specific fear of missing out and Internet-use expectancies. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 5, 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2017.04.001
7) Dhir, A., Yossatorn, Y., Kaur, P., & Chen, S. (2018). Online social media fatigue and psychological wellbeing. Journal of Business Research, 85, 141–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.12.021
8) Baker, Z. G., Krieger, H., & LeRoy, A. S. (2016). Fear of missing out and social media use. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 275–282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.052
9) Ekvitayavetchanukul, P., & Ekvitayavetchanukul, P. (2023). Comparing the effectiveness of distance learning and onsite learning in pre-medical courses. Recent Educational Research, 1(2), 141-147. https://doi.org/10.59762/rer904105361220231220143511
10) Przybylski, A. K., Weinstein, N., Murayama, K., Lynch, M. F., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). The ideal self at play. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(3), 550–562. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025749
11) Setia Lesmana, M. H., & Chung, M.-H. (2024). Mediating roles of perceived stigma and mental health literacy in the relationship between school climate and help-seeking behavior in Indonesian adolescents. PLoS ONE, 19(5), e0298017. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298017 PLOS
12) Mathasuriyapong, P., Korcharlermsonthi, N., Ekvitayavetchanukul, P., & Ekvitayavetchanukul, P. (2025). Modeling the health burden of PM2.5: Forecasting hospital admissions and medical demand in Bangkok and neighboring regions. Journal of Posthumanism, 5(6), 862–873. https://doi.org/10.63332/joph.v5i6.2155
13) Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and intrinsic motivation. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
14) Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
15) Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206–222. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000047
16) Nazari, A., Askari, A., Rahimi Foroushani, A., & Garmaroudi, G. (2024). The effect of educational intervention based on social media on mental health literacy of high school students: Study protocol. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1377760. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1377760
17) Odgers, C. L., & Jensen, M. R. (2020). Annual Research Review: Adolescent mental health in the digital age: Facts, fears, and future directions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61(3), 336–348. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13190
18) Rickwood, D. J., Deane, F. P., Wilson, C. J., & Ciarrochi, J. (2005). Mental health literacy: Empowering the community to take action for better mental health. American Psychologist, 60(3), 181–188. https://doi.org/10.5172/jamh.4.3.218
19) Oberst, U., Wegmann, E., Stodt, B., Brand, M., & Chamarro, A. (2017). Negative consequences from heavy social media use. Journal of Adolescence, 55, 51–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.12.008
20) Sala, A., Porcaro, L., & Gómez, E. (2024). Social media use and adolescents’ mental health and well-being: An umbrella review. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 100404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100404 ScienceDirect
21) Sun, G., & Lee, Y. (2025). Effectiveness of mental health literacy interventions for adolescents: A meta-analysis. SAGE Open, 15(1), 21582440251327445. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251327445
22) Sutabutra, T., Rujachan, P., Manasakorn, K., Sripetchnai, M., & Ekvitayavetchanukul, P. (2025). The impact of design thinking vs rote learning on secondary student achievement: An experimental study in Bangkok schools. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 51(2), 411–422. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajess/2025/v51i21794
23) Stauch, L., & Richter, F. (2025). Digital health literacy of children and adolescents and its determinants: A national study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e69170. https://doi.org/10.2196/69170
24) Tynes, B. M., & Giang, M. T. (2021). Internet use and psychological well-being among adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50(5), 1012–1028.
25) Wei, Y., McGrath, P. J., Hayden, J., & Kutcher, S. (2015). Mental health literacy measures evaluating knowledge, attitudes and help-seeking: A scoping review. BMC Psychiatry, 15, 291. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-015-0681-9
 

Cite this article 

Borvonsachoti, P., Jitrach, J., Prasertnoo, P., & Ekvitayavetchanukul, P. (2026). Unpacking the Mechanism of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): The Interplay Between Social Pressure, Emotional Anxiety, and Digital Engagement among Students and Young Adults. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH & MEDICAL RESEARCH, 5(5), 372-378. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijhmr.2026.v5i5n05