FoMO and the brain: Loneliness and problematic social networking site use mediate the association between the topology of the resting-state EEG brain network and fear of missing out

Abstract

Fear of missing out (FoMO) is a pervasive apprehension that others might have rewarding experiences from which one is absent. Recently, FoMO has been considered a negative aspect of social media's popularity. However, the neural basis of FoMO remains unknown. Here, we examined the relationship between the topology of the resting-state electroencephalography (rs-EEG) brain network and FoMO and developed a theoretical model with loneliness and problematic social networking sites (SNS) use as mediators to explain the association between the topology and FoMO in 113 young adults. Minimum spanning tree analysis revealed that the high FoMO group's rs-EEG brain network had a higher Kappa and leaf fraction in the alpha band than the low FoMO group's network, indicating that emergence of FoMO is based on excessive scale-free brain networks. Importantly, the association between alpha-band Kappa and FoMO was partially mediated by loneliness and problematic SNS use. Multiple mediation analyses revealed sequential mediation by loneliness and problematic SNS use. To our knowledge, this is the first study to consider FoMO from the perspective of a complex brain network. Our results provide neuroscientific evidence that loneliness, namely a lack of psychological need satisfaction, influences FoMO, while SNS provide platforms for this influence to propagate.