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The Fear of Missing Out: The Predictive Roles of Self-Esteem and Loneliness Among South
African Adults
Abstract
The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) has emerged as a significant psychological concern in the digital
age, characterised by the distressing apprehension that others are having rewarding experiences from
which one is absent. This study examined the predictive relationships between self-esteem,
loneliness, and FoMO among a sample of South African adults. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional
survey design, data were collected from 220 South African adults aged 18 years and older who were
active users of at least one social media platform. Participants completed the Fear of Missing Out
Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and selected items from the UCLA Loneliness Scale.
Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to test four research hypotheses. Consistent
with expectations, self-esteem was negatively correlated with FoMO, and loneliness was positively
correlated with FoMO. When entered simultaneously in a regression model controlling for age,
gender, and socioeconomic status, both self-esteem and loneliness emerged as significant unique
predictors of FoMO, with loneliness accounting for a larger proportion of unique variance. These
findings suggest that both low self-worth and social disconnection contribute independently to the
experience of FoMO, with loneliness playing a particularly prominent role. The results extend the
applicability of FoMO research to the South African context and highlight the importance of
addressing both self-esteem and loneliness in interventions aimed at reducing FoMO.
Introduction
The advent of social networking sites has fundamentally transformed the landscape of human social
interaction. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp provide unprecedented
opportunities for individuals to stay informed about the activities, achievements, and social
gatherings of their peers. However, this constant connectivity has a psychological downside: the Fear
of Missing Out, commonly known as FoMO. Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan and Gladwell (2013, p.
1841) define FoMO as the pervasive apprehension that "others might be having rewarding
experiences from which one is absent." This construct captures the uneasy and often distressing
feeling that one is not participating in enjoyable or meaningful experiences that others are currently
having. FoMO is not a trivial consequence of modern technology; rather, it is grounded in
fundamental psychological needs.
Self-determination theory posits that humans have innate needs for competence, autonomy, and
relatedness (Przybylski et al., 2013). When the need for relatedness—feeling connected to others—is
thwarted, individuals become more susceptible to FoMO. Similarly, the need-to-belong theory
suggests that a strong motivation to form and maintain social bonds can make individuals
hypervigilant to cues of social exclusion (Lai, Altavilla, Ronconi & Aceto, 2016). Social media
amplifies these dynamics by providing a constant stream of social comparison information, where
users are exposed to curated, often idealised portrayals of others' lives (Dogan, 2019). Consequently,
while social media does not cause FoMO, it significantly intensifies the experience. Understanding
the interplay between self-esteem, loneliness, and FoMO is particularly relevant within the South
African context, where extreme socioeconomic inequality and a youthful, digitally connected
population create conditions in which social comparison distress may be amplified (Bosch, 2020;
Maree, 2021).
The Fear of Missing Out: The Predictive Roles of Self-Esteem and Loneliness Among South
African Adults
Abstract
The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) has emerged as a significant psychological concern in the digital
age, characterised by the distressing apprehension that others are having rewarding experiences from
which one is absent. This study examined the predictive relationships between self-esteem,
loneliness, and FoMO among a sample of South African adults. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional
survey design, data were collected from 220 South African adults aged 18 years and older who were
active users of at least one social media platform. Participants completed the Fear of Missing Out
Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and selected items from the UCLA Loneliness Scale.
Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to test four research hypotheses. Consistent
with expectations, self-esteem was negatively correlated with FoMO, and loneliness was positively
correlated with FoMO. When entered simultaneously in a regression model controlling for age,
gender, and socioeconomic status, both self-esteem and loneliness emerged as significant unique
predictors of FoMO, with loneliness accounting for a larger proportion of unique variance. These
findings suggest that both low self-worth and social disconnection contribute independently to the
experience of FoMO, with loneliness playing a particularly prominent role. The results extend the
applicability of FoMO research to the South African context and highlight the importance of
addressing both self-esteem and loneliness in interventions aimed at reducing FoMO.
Introduction
The advent of social networking sites has fundamentally transformed the landscape of human social
interaction. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp provide unprecedented
opportunities for individuals to stay informed about the activities, achievements, and social
gatherings of their peers. However, this constant connectivity has a psychological downside: the Fear
of Missing Out, commonly known as FoMO. Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan and Gladwell (2013, p.
1841) define FoMO as the pervasive apprehension that "others might be having rewarding
experiences from which one is absent." This construct captures the uneasy and often distressing
feeling that one is not participating in enjoyable or meaningful experiences that others are currently
having. FoMO is not a trivial consequence of modern technology; rather, it is grounded in
fundamental psychological needs.
Self-determination theory posits that humans have innate needs for competence, autonomy, and
relatedness (Przybylski et al., 2013). When the need for relatedness—feeling connected to others—is
thwarted, individuals become more susceptible to FoMO. Similarly, the need-to-belong theory
suggests that a strong motivation to form and maintain social bonds can make individuals
hypervigilant to cues of social exclusion (Lai, Altavilla, Ronconi & Aceto, 2016). Social media
amplifies these dynamics by providing a constant stream of social comparison information, where
users are exposed to curated, often idealised portrayals of others' lives (Dogan, 2019). Consequently,
while social media does not cause FoMO, it significantly intensifies the experience. Understanding
the interplay between self-esteem, loneliness, and FoMO is particularly relevant within the South
African context, where extreme socioeconomic inequality and a youthful, digitally connected
population create conditions in which social comparison distress may be amplified (Bosch, 2020;
Maree, 2021).
