Combating Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on Social Media: The FoMO-R Method.

Raian Ali,John McAlaney,Dena Al-Thani,Aarif Alutaybi

doi:10.3390/ijerph17176128

Abstract

Background: The fear of missing out (FoMO) on social media refers to the apprehension that online content and interactions from others are unseen and reacted to in a timely fashion. FoMO can become problematic, leading to anxiety, interrupted sleep, lack of concentration and dependence on social media to generate gratification. The literature has mainly focused on understanding the FoMO experience, factors contributing to it and its consequences. Method: In this paper, we build on previous research and develop a FoMO Reduction (FoMO-R) approach that embraces technical elements such as autoreply, filtering, status, education on how FoMO occurs and skills on how to deal with it; e.g., self-talk and checklists. We evaluate the method through focus groups and a diary study involving 30 participants who self-declared to experience FoMO regularly. Results: The results show that the method was accepted by the participants and helped them to manage their FoMO. They also show that a set of extra functionalities in social media design is needed so that users can manage FoMO more effectively. Conclusion: FoMO can be reduced through socio-technical approaches, joining both social and technical skills, and literacy on how social media are designed and how social interactions should happen on them.

Highlights

In recent years, social media has reshaped the way individuals interact
All participants stated that they were keen to learn more about how fear of missing out (FoMO) manifests and how it can be managed on social media
Our main purpose in this paper is to devise and introduce FoMO Reduction (FoMO-R) and that our evaluation study is mainly meant to provide evidence of the potential of FoMO-R, we still recognize that this evaluation has limitations: The time of applying FoMO-R was short for judging whether it has led to a sustainable change in

Summary

Introduction

Social media has reshaped the way individuals interact. On the one hand, it has provided new means to develop relationships and remain socially related, and has facilitated more reciprocal and continuous interactions among individuals, regardless of time and location. On the other hand, such novel social communication method has triggered a new range of negative consequences where virtual communities operate in different modalities in comparison to traditional communication and where a new set of interaction norms are perceived to exist by the individuals [1]. One such negative experience is the fear of missing out (FoMO).

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion