Students’ social media use and the fear of missing out
Student: Kim van Loon
Student number: 10677070
E-mail:
Lecturer: dr. M. Elenbaas
Course: Introduction to Research Methodology
, 1. Introduction
Over the past decades, there have been countless studies about the effects of media on people, but
there is still much to explore. The gaps in knowledge about media effects are caused by the changes in
people’s media use and by the quick changes of the media. A phenomenon that has gained particular
attention in the last years is social media. Social media raised many concerns, with one of them being
about online social interaction (Valkenburg & Piotrowski, 2017). Being connected and being accepted
is important for adolescents, which is why social media is especially attractive for these individuals.
Adolescents are, relative to the general population, heavy users of social media and use social media
extensively (Alt, 2015). However, studies have shown that excessive use of social media can have
negative psychological consequences for adolescents (Oberst, Wegmann, Stodt, Brand & Chamarro,
2016). These potential negative psychological consequences related to social media use have raised
interest in a relatively new phenomenon termed Fear of Missing out (FoMO). “Defined as a pervasive
apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, FoMO is
characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing” (Przybylski,
Murayama, DeHaan & Gladwell, 2013, p. 1841). Individuals with high levels of the fear of missing
out often experience feelings of low self-esteem and anxiety (Przybylski et al., 2013). Considering the
attractiveness of social media for adolescents and their excessive use of it combined with the relatively
new concerns about FoMO in relation to social media, it is important to develop a better understanding
of the impact of social media use on FoMO, and to examine associations between those concepts.
Therefore, the research question of this research is: Does exposure to social media has an influence on
the fear of missing out?
2. Theoretical background
Through the widespread and easy availability of Internet nowadays, constant connectivity to social
media is becoming increasingly common. Social media affords access to information about the events
and activities of other people, which is related to FoMO. Because of the fact that time is limited
“people must also miss out on a substantial subset of potentially rewarding experiences made salient
by social media use” (Przybylski et al., 2013, p. 1846). People can become anxious that other people
are leading more interesting lives. Adolescents who use social media “have a higher risk of suffering
from anxiety when they have the feeling that they do not belong and that they are missing out on
important shared experiences” (Oberst et al., 2016, p. 53).
Social media is omnipresent in the present-day society. According to multiple researchers,
social media is playing an essential role in the fear of missing out. “There is no doubt that social
media’s presence in our lives has amplified the need and desire (and opportunity) to know what other
1
Student: Kim van Loon
Student number: 10677070
E-mail:
Lecturer: dr. M. Elenbaas
Course: Introduction to Research Methodology
, 1. Introduction
Over the past decades, there have been countless studies about the effects of media on people, but
there is still much to explore. The gaps in knowledge about media effects are caused by the changes in
people’s media use and by the quick changes of the media. A phenomenon that has gained particular
attention in the last years is social media. Social media raised many concerns, with one of them being
about online social interaction (Valkenburg & Piotrowski, 2017). Being connected and being accepted
is important for adolescents, which is why social media is especially attractive for these individuals.
Adolescents are, relative to the general population, heavy users of social media and use social media
extensively (Alt, 2015). However, studies have shown that excessive use of social media can have
negative psychological consequences for adolescents (Oberst, Wegmann, Stodt, Brand & Chamarro,
2016). These potential negative psychological consequences related to social media use have raised
interest in a relatively new phenomenon termed Fear of Missing out (FoMO). “Defined as a pervasive
apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, FoMO is
characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing” (Przybylski,
Murayama, DeHaan & Gladwell, 2013, p. 1841). Individuals with high levels of the fear of missing
out often experience feelings of low self-esteem and anxiety (Przybylski et al., 2013). Considering the
attractiveness of social media for adolescents and their excessive use of it combined with the relatively
new concerns about FoMO in relation to social media, it is important to develop a better understanding
of the impact of social media use on FoMO, and to examine associations between those concepts.
Therefore, the research question of this research is: Does exposure to social media has an influence on
the fear of missing out?
2. Theoretical background
Through the widespread and easy availability of Internet nowadays, constant connectivity to social
media is becoming increasingly common. Social media affords access to information about the events
and activities of other people, which is related to FoMO. Because of the fact that time is limited
“people must also miss out on a substantial subset of potentially rewarding experiences made salient
by social media use” (Przybylski et al., 2013, p. 1846). People can become anxious that other people
are leading more interesting lives. Adolescents who use social media “have a higher risk of suffering
from anxiety when they have the feeling that they do not belong and that they are missing out on
important shared experiences” (Oberst et al., 2016, p. 53).
Social media is omnipresent in the present-day society. According to multiple researchers,
social media is playing an essential role in the fear of missing out. “There is no doubt that social
media’s presence in our lives has amplified the need and desire (and opportunity) to know what other
1
