A study on FOMO and social media usage among adults & adolescents

Abstract

Objectives – Latest modern technology smartphones and their applications are crucial for fostering interpersonal relationships, expressing emotions, sharing knowledge, and advancing humankind. Social media usage among young people is growing exponentially, raising widespread concerns about their propensity for negative behaviour. However, the drawbacks of such devices can cause users to experience FOMO, or the fear of missing out, which can have detrimental effects on one’s physical, social, and mental well-being. Methods – The team has taken up a small survey using Google forms to identify the differences in young people’s social media and (FOMO) levels. Data was collected using a quantitative method, and the Chi-square test method was used to examine it. We have taken a sample of 100 people in which, 50 of whom were adolescents, while the remaining 50 were young adults. In a survey, a researcher needs to get the proper response from everyone who is part of their research. The form consisted of 18 questions based on basic observation and some are on a Likert scale. Result - The result of this study is that the rate of usage of social media is very high (more than 7 hours a day), and it is also degrading the mental health of young minds. The study also shows notable differences in how young people use social media and deal with FOMO. 44% of people thought that it also affects mental health and reduces brain power because of different rays or energies. It also affects the behavior of the person if the person uses social media, so their brain is not working properly. Conclusion - Young and adolescent users of cell phones may become overly dependent on them, leading them to follow others’ leads and respond excessively to their behaviour. The obtained findings reveal that the young generation is updating their status and have been seen too much online. They miss social gatherings and reunions at the university or school also.