The Impact of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on Gen Z Lifestyle

Authors :  

Luthfiah Shafa Dwi Astuti, Salsabila Jalaluddin , Tatu Zakiyatun Nufus

Psychology faculty of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Indonesia  

 

Abstract  

This article discusses the impact of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on Generation Z's lifestyle, with social media as a moderator. It explores the concept of FoMO, the characteristics of Generation Z, the influence of social media, and its impact on lifestyle. The research findings suggest that FoMO may lead to excessive social media use, social discomfort, and a hedonistic and consumptive lifestyle. This study utilized a literature review methodology to gather information from previous research. The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) phenomenon has a significant impact on Generation Z's lifestyle, especially in relation to the use of smartphones and social media. It can have both positive and negative effects, including increased motivation but also impaired social skills and increased consumptive behavior. Understanding FoMO is important to realize how the digital lifestyle and social media affect Generation Z's behavior and lifestyle.

Keywords: FoMo, Gen Z, Social Media .  

 

Introduction  

This article is based on a situation or condition that is currently rife in the social environment, namely the emergence of a phenomenon commonly referred to as FoMO or Fear of Missing Out. FoMo or Fear of Missing Out is a phenomenon of an individual's concern not being up to date or the fear of missing out on interesting information. FoMO can be characterized by the length of time playing social media. Individuals want to continue playing social media because they are afraid or do not want to be late for new information. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to determine the effect of FoMO on the lifestyle of Gen Z.

According to Przybylski (2013), what we call the phenomenon of Fear of Missing Out or FoMO is a situation when people have a great desire to stay connected to what others are doing through cyberspace.  The phenomenon of FoMO has become an integral part of Generation Z (Gen Z) life. Generation Z is the newest working generation, born between 1995 and 2012, also known as the net generation or internet generation (Stillman Research, 2017). Social media is one of the factors that trigger FoMO or contribute greatly to the emergence of FoMO. Social media creates an easily accessible place for individuals to find out what other people are doing and from that, many individuals end up developing negative feelings and emotions on social media because of feelings of envy towards other people's posts and lives.

As we see in today's society, many individuals sometimes deliberately post pictures, writings, or even self-promotion that are not necessarily honest just to look updated and will feel that something is wrong in their lives if they don't upload something interesting.
Gen Z is often exposed to an optimized and regulated view of life through social media, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and uselessness. This constant need to explore and know everything that is happening in their environment, often fueled using social media, can lead to excessive and unrestricted use of social media, potentially resulting in social media addiction. In addition, FoMO has been associated with a lifestyle characterized by excessive smartphone and social media use, often starting from the moment of waking up to before bedtime, indicating a significant influence on daily routines and habits. According to Lisya Septiani Putri., et al (2019) explained that students who experience FoMO express their lifestyle with excessive things, cannot control themselves to stay connected to other people's activities, and ignore their own activities. If examined in depth, the characteristics of students who experience FoMO  have activities, interests, and opinions that are too excessive, so they lose control of themselves in using social media. According to JWT Intelligence, 70% of individuals between the ages of 18 and 34 experience FoMO, including late teens and early adults. However, late adolescents tend to relate more to FoMO because they have fewer resources and are influenced by what others display on social media. This is because they may struggle to meet their psychological needs for autonomy, expertise, and relatedness (Se'u & Rahayu, 2022).
Based on this background, researchers are interested in analyzing the impact of FoMO on Gen Z lifestyle mediated by social media. The title of this research is "The Impact of Fear of Missing Out (FoMo) on Gen Z Lifestyle”.

Literature review  

a. Fear of Missing Out (FoMo)  

Fear of Missing Out commonly referred to as FoMO is a feeling of anxiety or fear at the thought that others may experience something different from us or something we do not experience. According to Larry Dossey (2016), FoMO is considered a form of social anxiety, a concern that one might miss out on opportunities for social interaction, new experiences, or other fulfilling events that are often evoked by posts seen on social media sites. FoMO is the fear that our experiences are not good enough when compared to those of others (Dossey, 2014). The term Fear of Missing Out or FoMO refers to the feeling of wanting to keep up with what others are doing through the use of online platforms such as social media (Pryzyblski, A.K., Murayama, DeHaan, & Gladwell, 2013).  

b. Generation Z  

Z generation, sometimes referred to Gen Z, is the group of people born between 1995 and 2010. According to Westlund (2010), Generation Z is also referred to as "iGeneration," "postmillennials," or "net generation” due to their upbringing in a digital age characterized by computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles, and the Internet.  Prominent characteristics of Generation Z include technological proficiency, practicality, adaptability, self-reliance, and civic duty. Friends have a significant influence on this generation's purchasing decisions (Jain et al., 2014). Generation Z individuals are conservative in terms of their characteristics, lifestyle, and attitudes. Gen   Z engages with others and presents themselves in quick ways, allowing for momentary changes to one's identity or shared self. These online self-expressions and interactions give feedback from an enormous interpersonal realm accessible in realtime. Additionally, putting on possible selves on social media occurs in a frequently more straightforward milieu, is safer, and is associated with fewer severe repercussions than in face-to-face situations (Back et al., 2010; Tosun, 2012). For Gen Z it's often about their highly connected digital lives. They often feel pressured to constantly engage in trends, events, or activities seen on their social media platforms. In terms of lifestyle, Gen Z is known for working, shopping, dating, and making friends online. They are also recognized for their inclusive consumer behavior and socially progressive ideals.  

c. Lifestyle  

According to Nguyen et al., (2020), a person's lifestyle is defined as their way of life, which represents their values, preferences, attitudes, and decisions in areas such as clothing, eating habits, hobbies, sports, food preferences, and other daily activities.  

Pratisti (2020) asserts that lifestyle is a reflection of human identity and the result of a complex relationship between psychological, social, cultural, and economic factors. A person's daily actions and behaviors are also considered part of their lifestyle. The way a person dresses reflects what they like and who they are. A person's lifestyle is individualized and can differ from others. Each individual has a different lifestyle that is shaped by their environment, culture, values, and personal choices. With changes in needs, values, or preferences, lifestyles can evolve over time (Wardhani et al., 2020).

 

Methodology  

This research uses the literature study method, which focuses on collecting information relevant to the topic or problem that is the object of research by reading and studying journals or reference books as well as the results of previous similar research to obtain a theoretical basis for the problem to be studied. So that what is written does not contain essays but valid data that can be accounted for. The sources used in this literature study method are research journals.  

 

Result and finding  

 We can know the lifestyle of  Gen Z which is included in the FoMO phenomenon from every activity or activity and even their excessive opinions. According to Lila Aisafitri et al., (2020), lifestyle is often described by a person's activities, interests, and opinions and can be identified by looking at how a person spends their time, what a person considers important in society, and what he thinks about themself.  

The lifestyle of someone who experiences FoMO can be seen from how long the individual uses their smartphone or how often the individual opens their phone.  They often open their smartphones or social media from the time they wake up to before bed even in their free time.  The individual is afraid or feels uncomfortable when away from his smartphone, every time he will open or play his social media application. All of that the individual does because he feels a feeling of fear, anxiety, worry that he will miss out on new news or new trends that other people are doing. Social media is one of the factors that contribute greatly to the emergence of the FoMO phenomenon. Because from social media we can see every latest activity that other people are doing, what latest news is being discussed, or what trends are popular among the community. So that it will make individuals want to continue to open their smartphones or play social media to satisfy their curiosity and so that individuals also do not feel left behind information from others.
According to a qualitative research conducted by Lila Aisafitri and Kiayati Yusriyah in 2020, Gen Z individuals who experience FoMO usually exhibit a high level of curiosity. They tend to stay informed and updated at all times by constantly checking their social media for extended periods. They consider social media as their go-to platform to quench their thirst for knowledge. Moreover, FoMO can be beneficial for them because it motivates them to explore the latest information and helps them to be more productive in honing their hobbies.

Yusuf et al (2023) Based on the results of research on FoMo (fear of missing out), there is an impact of FoMo. Because of FOMO, people always follow other people's activities, and they will look at social media all the time. Fomo also describes people who are always looking at notifications on their cell phones. excessive use of social media can cause FoMO. This can happen because people always want to follow and connect with social media.  Informants' answers show this: 11 informants strongly agreed with the statement, "I try to follow the activities of some of my connections through their social media updates," and 2 informants agreed with the statement. Then another impact is that when users choose to communicate in cyberspace, their social skills may be impaired, leading to social awkwardness when they have to interact in the real world, and (2) The use of social media can lead to feelings of anxiety and anger, (3) increase dissatisfaction with life, and (4) decrease concentration and interest in learning. Few students use social networks all the time, even during lessons, because students who are afraid of missing out on something become less productive for fear of losing attention if they miss the moment. This has been proven in the research activities. 8 respondents strongly agreed with this criterion and 5 respondents agreed with the statement "I often open my phone during lessons".

According to Przybylski et al. (2013), FoMO is a type of compulsive worry that results in concern about missing out on trends, such as using the latest technology, attending popular events, or participating in other trendy activities, consumptive hedonism is one of the longterm adverse effects of this FoMO behavior. Ratnaningsih & Halidy (2022) where in their findings there is a significant and positive effect of FOMO on impulse buying in society.

The impact of FOMO also affects individuals to become hedonistic and consumptive. Because of the sense of not wanting to lose and fear of being left behind, individuals will follow the existing trends. Moreover, if influencers or celebrities use the items they use, it will make them affected and want to have the same items. In accordance with research (Sudarman & Lailla, 2023). Respondents in this study spend a lot of time following the latest fashion trends.  When buying fashion, sharing the details on social media is considered important.  Fashion products endorsed by influencers on social media can be seen by their followers, who are also consumers, so influencers can influence their followers to buy fashion products.

Based on previous studies, it is said and proven that fomo or Fear of missing out affects the lifestyle of Gen Z. Gen Z who are curious teenagers are very easy to be part of FoMO.
FoMO in previous studies has an impact that tends to be bad for the lifestyle of Gen Z.

Conclusion  

It can be concluded that the FoMO (fear of missing out) phenomenon has a significant impact, especially on Generation Z's lifestyle. FoMO is reflected in the habit of using smartphones excessively, especially related to activities on social media. Individuals who experience FoMO tend to always seek the latest information and want to stay connected to the trends and activities of others.
In previous research, it was found that FoMO can have positive impacts, such as increasing motivation to hone hobbies and being more productive. However, negative impacts were also seen, such as impaired real-world social skills, increased dissatisfaction with life, decreased concentration, and triggering consumptive behavior.

In a consumptive context, FoMO can encourage individuals to become consumptive and hedonistic, with a tendency to follow trends and buy certain products due to influence from social media, influencers, or celebrities. This can have a negative impact on finances and life satisfaction.

In order to gain a deep understanding of how social media and digital lifestyles impact the behaviors and consumption habits of Generation Z, it's essential to grasp the concept of FoMO. By gaining a clear comprehension of FoMO, we can gain valuable insights into how these factors affect the younger generation.
 

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