A critical review of FOMO behaviour among young investors

Abstract

The fear of missing out (FOMO) is the emotional feeling of missing out on the opportunity to gain a fulfilling experience. FOMO is a behavioural trait that influences an individual’s decisions such as utilising social media, adopting new technology, crowdfunding, and investing in the equity market. Young investors with FOMO behaviour might mimic what other investors do in fear of missing out on the opportunity for a higher return in the financial market. The purpose of this paper is to understand the concept of FOMO and review what researchers have discovered about FOMO behaviour among young investors. Based on these recent findings on FOMO behaviour, it can be concluded that a volatile market, risk-averse investors, and perceived market efficiency are critical factors of FOMO behaviour among young investors. The risk-averse attitude, subjective norms of perceived market efficiency and perceived control behaviour during market volatility could be examined based on the TPB model.