Abstract

PurposeResearch examining the “fear of missing out” (FoMO) is increasingly prominent, with a growing number of studies exploring this phenomenon. Despite the increased academic interest, no attempts have been made to synthesize extant knowledge on FoMO. There is limited holistic understanding of its conceptualization and operationalization. To address this gap, an exhaustive systematic literature review (SLR) on FoMO is presented.Design/methodology/approachSystematic review protocols and content analysis was used to analyze and synthesize insights from 58 empirical studies obtained from four academic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and PsycINFO.FindingsSignificant diversity in prior research on FoMO was encapsulated in four themes. There are significant limitations in conceptualization of FoMO, along with narrow focus on geographic, methodological and contextual foci of prior studies. The authors propose a comprehensive framework and extensive gap-specific research directions to aid future research.Research limitations/implicationsThe SLR is limited in its consideration of empirical studies published in academic journal articles obtained from four databases.Social implicationsThe authors imply the critical need to ascertain motives for individuals' excessive engagement with social media and the subsequent impact on well-being indicators (e.g. sleep quality) and functional impairments (e.g. addiction).Originality/valueThis study magnifies and expands the intellectual boundaries of FoMO and suggests the adoption of a multidisciplinary perspective for further investigation. The use of novel theoretical lenses can further ascertain FoMO's effect on different cultures and social media users.

Highlights

  • The use of smartphones, social media platforms and other Internet-based platforms is ubiquitous in everyday life

  • The review indicates that a multitude of variables have been studied in regard to Fear of Missing Out” (FoMO)

  • We posit that FoMO and specific social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, etc.) are part of the social media environment that is affected by involved individuals and familial/peer groups

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Summary

Introduction

The use of smartphones, social media platforms and other Internet-based platforms is ubiquitous in everyday life. To ensure the current review reflected its multidisciplinary nature, four different databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO) were used to search relevant literature and select appropriate studies. 3.2 Research profile Different types of descriptive statistics are reported for the selected studies to present the profile of prior literature on FoMO, such as articles with the highest number of citations, geolocations of the organizations to which first authors of the selected articles are affiliated and the geographic scope of prior investigations. Note(s): *Reflects global citations, which is the total number of citations that the publication has received, as per the Scopus database These three countries account for the most thoroughly investigated study contexts (about 44% of the reviewed sample; see Figure 4).

Discussion
Study design
Study design Survey
Findings
Motivation and Emotion
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