A Research Agenda on Dual Emotional Mechanisms of Fear of Exclusion and Fear of Missing Out in Social Commerce Repurchase Behavior

This study aims to explore the role of social media in fostering the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and the Fear of Social Exclusion, particularly among social media users in Vietnam. The rapid expansion of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok has brought many benefits in terms of social connection and interaction. However, excessive use of social media can also lead to psychological consequences, such as anxiety from missing out on information or feeling isolated from social groups. The study employs a quantitative research method with a sample of 300 social media users aged 18 to 45 in Vietnam, representing the age group with the highest level of social media interaction. Data was collected through a survey and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS software. The results indicate that perceived centrality on social media significantly influences user engagement and addiction, which, in turn, increase the likelihood of experiencing fear of exclusion; this fear of exclusion subsequently leads to FOMO. These findings emphasize the relationship between social media use and psychological issues, providing recommendations for users and managers to mitigate the negative effects of social media. This research context is particularly relevant in the digital age, where social media usage has become an integral part of daily life. With the rapid advancement of information technology, social media platforms have become essential tools for connection, yet they also pose significant risks to mental health. In the context of Vietnam, where social media is becoming increasingly prevalent, understanding its psychological impacts will help develop better strategies for managing and promoting healthier social media usage.

This study explored the influence of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on youths’ shopping intentions within the social commerce environment of TikTok. The background emphasized the growing prevalence of social media platforms as retail channels and the potential impact of FoMO on consumer behavior. The objective was to examine the relationships between FoMO, attitude towards behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and shopping intentions on TikTok. A quantitative research design using a survey methodology was employed. Data were collected from young TikTok users and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings demonstrated that FoMO favorably affected shopping intentions, both directly and indirectly, by negatively impacting perceived behavioral control. According to the Theory of Planned Behavior, attitude, and subjective norms were identified as significant determinants of shopping intentions. Perceived behavioral control, however, did not demonstrate a significant correlation with shopping intentions. The study revealed that FoMO significantly influences the purchase intentions of teenagers on TikTok, providing essential information for marketers aiming to capitalize on this phenomenon in social commerce initiatives.

According to the technology acceptance model, people’s acceptance of new technology is influenced by their perception of its usefulness and ease of use. We expand the research agenda by identifying the fear of missing out (FOMO) as a potential factor shaping people’s attitudes toward ChatGPT. We predicted that FOMO experiences, characterized by strong desires to stay connected with other people’s lives, would be linked to more AI-related supportive attitudes. In Study 1 (N = 209), university students with more frequent experiences of FOMO showed more favorable attitudes toward ChatGPT. Study 2 (N = 126) found that participants with a greater FOMO were more likely to choose an invitation letter purportedly authored by ChatGPT, despite it being composed by a human, which provided a behavioral choice confirmation of the observed relationship. Study 3 (N = 186) replicated the findings in a tourism context by employing non-student populations. Study 4 (N = 150) explored the propensity for participants to engage with ChatGPT in personal music selection process and obtained the same effect. Together, these findings suggest that the FOMO bias may exert an additional influence on the endorsement of new technologies, which highlights the important role of emotion in technology acceptance.

The Explosive Popularity of TikTok Shop as a Social Commerce Platform Has Created a Dynamic and Impulsive Shopping Ecosystem. Its unique characteristics, such as personalized recommendation algorithms, livestream commerce, and viral short-form video content, are strongly suspected to trigger the psychological phenomena of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Impulse Buying, which ultimately influence online Purchasing Decisions. This study aims to analyze the influence of FOMO on Purchasing Decisions on TikTok Shop, with Impulse Buying as a mediating variable. This research uses an explanatory quantitative approach with a survey method. Data was collected through an online questionnaire distributed to 427 active TikTok Shop users in Indonesia who had made a purchase. The data were analyzed using variance-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique with the help of SmartPLS 4.0 software to test the direct and indirect relationships between variables. The results prove that all proposed hypotheses were accepted. FOMO was proven to have a positive and significant direct effect on Impulse Buying (β = 0.683) and on Purchasing Decisions (β = 0.294). Critically, Impulse Buying was also proven to mediate the effect of FOMO on Purchasing Decisions with a strong indirect effect (β = 0.370). This research model was able to explain 62.8% of the variance in Purchasing Decisions (R² = 0.628), indicating high predictive power. It is concluded that FOMO and Impulse Buying are dominant determining factors in Purchasing Decisions on TikTok Shop. These findings reveal the psychological mechanisms behind the platform's success, where FOMO acts as a powerful initial trigger to create impulsive shopping urges, which then becomes the primary mechanism driving the realization of a purchase decision. This research provides an important contribution to the understanding of consumer behavior in the era of algorithm-driven social commerce.

This study examines when and how viral marketing and social proof shape purchase intention in social commerce, and whether Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) mediates these effects. Drawing on Social Influence Theory, we model viral marketing and social proof as antecedents, FOMO as a mediator, and purchase intention as the outcome. Data were collected from 231 active social commerce users in Indonesia and analyzed using variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The measurement model met accepted criteria for reliability and convergent validity. The structural results show that viral marketing exerts a positive and significant direct effect on purchase intention while also increasing FOMO. Social proof significantly elevates FOMO but does not directly influence purchase intention, indicating that endorsement cues operate primarily through affective urgency rather than as stand-alone drivers. FOMO has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention and mediates the paths from both viral marketing and social proof to purchase intention, implying partial mediation for viral marketing and full mediation for social proof. These findings advance theory by integrating normative and informational influence with an affective mechanism central to the attention economy. Managerially, they suggest prioritizing diffusion design and credible validation cues that ethically heighten urgency, while monitoring authenticity and overload to prevent reactance.

This study investigated the determinants of online purchasing intention under the psychological influence of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA).The research aimed to address gaps in existing frameworks by replacing TRA's Subjective Norms with Imitating Others (IMO) to better capture mimicry behaviors prevalent in social commerce.Data were collected from 327 Generation Z consumers using a structured questionnaire, and the proposed model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).The findings revealed that Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEU) significantly influenced Attitude (ATP), which, in turn, impacted Online Purchasing Intention (OPI).FoMO was shown to have a strong influence on Imitating Others, which also mediated the relationship between FoMO and OPI.The results confirmed the validity of the integrated TAM-TRA framework in explaining online purchasing behaviors under FoMO pressure.This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of social commerce and provides actionable insights for marketers to design FoMO-induced strategies that enhance consumer engagement.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and influencer credibility on impulsive buying, with hedonic motivation and trust serving as mediating variables. Research Method: A quantitative research design was employed using survey data collected from 200 active TikTok Shop users in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. Results and Discussion: The findings indicate that FOMO has a significant direct effect on impulsive buying, while hedonic motivation partially mediates this relationship. In contrast, influencer credibility does not directly influence impulsive buying; instead, it exerts an indirect effect through trust, which fully mediates the relationship. These results reveal two distinct psychological pathways: an affective pathway in which FOMO enhances hedonic motivation, leading to impulsive buying, and a cognitive pathway in which influencer credibility builds trust that subsequently drives impulsive buying. Implications: This study contributes to the social commerce literature by advancing a dual-mediation framework in explaining impulsive buying behavior and offers practical implications for marketers to design more effective short-video campaigns by leveraging emotional triggers such as FOMO and strengthening credibility through trust.

Objective: This study investigates the social cognitive factors influencing social commerce engagement, focusing on Generation Z users in Indonesia. The objective is to explore the roles of subjective norms, perceived utilitarian value, self-efficacy, and the fear of missing out (FoMO) in shaping purchase intentions on platforms like TikTok. Research Design & Methods: This study uses an explanatory research design to test causal relationships between variables, focusing on Generation Z TikTok users in Indonesia. A non-probability and convenience sampling method was used, with a sample size of 325 respondents, which falls within the recommended range of 100-400 respondents. Findings: Subjective norms were found to significantly influence purchase intentions in collectivist cultures like Indonesia. Perceived utilitarian value, such as convenience and cost-efficiency, also positively impacts purchase intentions. Self-efficacy boosts consumer confidence in navigating social commerce platforms, enhancing purchase intentions. FoMO serves as a crucial mediator, especially during time-sensitive sales or influencer promotions, increasing urgency in purchasing decisions. The intention to buy strongly correlates with actual purchases. Implications and Recommendations: Marketers should leverage micro-influencers to build trust in niche communities. AI algorithms can predict trends from user behavior, while integrating augmented reality (AR) features can improve engagement. Creating exclusive content and limited-time offers can amplify FoMO, encouraging quicker purchase decisions. Clear return policies and product reviews can further enhance consumer confidence. Contribution & Value Added: This study integrates FoMO into social cognitive theory (SCT), offering valuable insights into the psychological factors shaping social commerce behavior. It provides actionable recommendations for marketers to optimize engagement and drive sales.

In the context of modern digital commerce, the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) phenomenon emerges as an emotional response to social pressure and time urgency, amplified by interactive features in Live Commerce Platforms. Consumers, especially the younger generation, are often trapped in consumption patterns driven by false urgency and social validation. This research examines articles from reputable journals through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach. Thematic analysis shows that FOMO-based marketing strategies such as time-limited promotions, product exclusivity, and social validation trigger the emotional drive of consumers, especially Gen Z, to make impulse buying. Findings also show that customer experience is an important mediating variable that amplifies the FOMO effect. In addition to the psychological and social impacts, ethical aspects were also examined, specifically related to low financial literacy that increases consumers' vulnerability to aggressive FOMO campaigns. It was found that FOMO has potential as a campaign tool for sustainable minimalist consumption, if directed strategically. Through conceptual mapping and comparative discussion across studies, this article offers a theoretical foundation for the development of Sustainable Marketing Strategies that are not only effective, but also ethical and oriented towards sustainable consumption behavior.

This study investigates how fear of missing out (FOMO) shapes continuance intention in live streaming commerce among fashion entrepreneurs in Indonesia.Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory and Expectation-Confirmation Theory, a serial mediation model was developed and tested, linking FOMO to continuance intention through impulsive content creation and streaming experience.Data were collected from 223 Indonesian TikTok fashion entrepreneurs through a cross-sectional survey design and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).The results reveal that FOMO significantly drives impulsive content creation ( = 0.668, p < .001),which unexpectedly enhances streaming experience quality ( = 0.454, p < .001)rather than diminishing it.Positive streaming experience in turn strengthens continuance intention ( = 0.393, p = .007),with partial serial mediation confirmed ( = 0.119, p = .036).These findings challenge conventional assumptions that impulsivity harms business outcomes and instead demonstrate that spontaneity can enhance authenticity and engagement in social commerce contexts.The study extends FOMO research from consumer to entrepreneurial domains, showing how psychological triggers shape business behavior, and contributes to digital entrepreneurship literature by highlighting the role of psychological factors in business sustainability.Practical implications include guidance for entrepreneurs to strategically leverage authenticity, for platform designers to create features that support spontaneous engagement, and for policymakers to integrate psychological agility into entrepreneurship training programs.

This study aims to examine the influence of personal traits and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on the continued use of sociaal commerce platforms and its consequences for social engagement. Utilizing a quantitative approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to 90 respondents who have previously engaged in online shopping via social commerce. The analysis employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the relationships between variables. The findings reveal that personal traits significantly and positively affect the continued use of social commerce platforms, while FOMO also plays a crucial role in driving user engagement. Moreover, the study concludes that sustained use of these platforms enhances social engagement, indicating that users not only seek transactional benefits but also social interactions. The research highlights the need for social commerce platforms to consider psychological factors when designing user experiences to foster long-term engagement.

This investigation explores the psychological mechanisms through which fear of missing out (FOMO) drives impulsive purchasing behaviour among young TikTok Shop users, drawing on mixed-method data from 336 participants. Quantitative surveys employing Cronbach’s Alpha-validated scales (α = 0.89) revealed two dominant FOMO dimensions: Desire for Belonging, characterised by prestige sensitivity, social connectedness, and peer praise (β = 0.42, p &lt; 0.01), and Anxiety of Isolation, manifesting through fears of alienation, social neglect, and competitive disadvantage (β = 0.38, p &lt; 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated these factors collectively account for 68% of variance in impulsive buying behaviour (R2 = 0.68), with qualitative interviews contextualising how platform-specific features like time-limited flash sales (reported by 75% of respondents) and influencer-curated product showcases (62%) amplify decision urgency. The study identifies TikTok Shop’s interface design as a critical amplifier of FOMO-driven consumption, particularly through its real-time viewer counters, social validation metrics (likes/share counts), and algorithmically prioritised peer activity feeds. These technical elements interact with users’ psychological need for self-presentation, creating a feedback loop where social comparison processes intensify impulsive purchasing tendencies. From a practical perspective, the findings suggest platform operators could implement ethical design interventions such as purchase delay prompts or consumption transparency dashboards to mitigate compulsive buying patterns. Methodological limitations include geographic concentration on a single university population and potential self-report biases in survey responses. The absence of product-category stratification further limits insights into how FOMO effects vary across different merchandise types. Future research directions should encompass cross-cultural validation studies and neuroimaging approaches to map the neural correlates of FOMO-triggered purchasing decisions. This work contributes novel empirical evidence to digital consumer behaviour literature, establishing TikTok Shop as a unique behavioural ecosystem where platform architecture and social psychology jointly drive commercial outcomes. The results hold significance for policymakers crafting digital commerce regulations and marketers developing responsible engagement strategies in social commerce environments.

Why does the continued use of social commerce platforms fail to promote consumer wellbeing? This study explores the roles of influencers, informational incentives and fear of missing out (FoMO) in the relationships between social commerce platform use and consumer mental health. Data were obtained through questionnaires, as well as constructing a research model. Statistical analysis and path analysis of the structural equation model were performed by the software IBM SPSS and AMOS, and the following results were obtained. (1) Influencer expertise and interactivity, informational incentives and FoMO have a significant impact on consumers’ continued use of social commerce platforms. (2) Materialism has no significant effect on consumer social commerce platform use. (3) FoMO mediates the relationships between informational incentives and continued use of social commerce platforms. (4) Consumers’ continuous use of social commerce platforms has a strong relationship with mental health. (5) Continued use of social commerce platforms can lead to intense social engagement, as well as more severe outcomes such as psychological anxiety and compulsive buying. The findings of the paper have important implications for the development of social business theory and management practice.

This study examines the factors influencing young consumers' impulsive buying behavior during TikTok Shop live-streaming flash sales, focusing on the effects of scarcity, discounts during live-streaming sales (DOLS), and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). The research targets Generation Y and Z, known for their high engagement with digital platforms. Using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory, the study explores how these factors interact to drive impulsive purchases. Data were collected from 295 respondents via an online survey and analyzed using Method Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Partial Least Squares (PLS) to assess the relationships between the variables. The results indicate that both scarcity and DOLS significantly heighten FoMO, which acts as a psychological trigger for impulsive buying behavior. FoMO mediates the effect of scarcity and discounts on impulsive purchases, where scarcity creates urgency by limiting product availability, and DOLS entice consumers with time-sensitive deals. Additionally, the interactive nature of live-streaming enhances these effects by enabling real-time engagement with sellers. This study underscores the psychological impact of FoMO in live-stream shopping and provides valuable insights for marketers seeking to optimize social commerce strategies on platforms like TikTok.

This study aims to analyze the influence of Live Streaming, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), and Electronic Word of Mouth (E-WOM) features on purchasing decisions on the TikTok Shop platform in Indonesia. TikTok Shop is a social commerce platform that combines entertainment elements with online shopping, which attracts consumers through innovative approaches such as Live Streaming, user reviews, and limited promotions. The study was conducted using a quantitative method by distributing questionnaires online to 100 TikTok Shop users. The data obtained were analyzed using multiple linear regression to test the influence of each independent variable (Live Streaming, FoMO, E-WOM) on purchasing decisions. The results showed that all three variables had a significant effect on purchasing decisions, with E-WOM having the greatest influence. These findings indicate the importance of user reviews and live product demonstrations in creating trust and encouraging impulse buying. The implication of this study is that business actors can optimize the Live Streaming and product review features to increase sales and build consumer loyalty.