Abstract:

The FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) syndrome is a typical desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing, be active on social media, and follow what is going on there. Fear of missing out is associated with individual’s belief that other people experience more attractive events and more rewarding situations that the individual misses out by not being active on the media. The FoMO syndrome may be considered a type of Internet addiction. Several research studies suggest negative consequences of the FoMO syndrome related to experiencing negative emotions (for example: sadness; loneliness) and various psychosocial issues (for example: negative reactions; an individual being blocked by members of a peer group on the Internet). The objective of the present study was an analysis of the relationship between the FoMO syndrome and emotional regulation that expresses an individual’s ability to use certain strategies to affect the levels of emotional response. We focused on identifying the relationship between time spent on social media and the occurrence of the FoMO syndrome, gender differences in the FoMO syndrome, and gender differences in difficulties in emotional regulation and its individual areas. The Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOS) and the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS) were used for data collection. The sample consisted of 123 adolescents (68 females and 55 males), secondary school and university students aged 15 to 22 years. A comparative correlational study was used. We found out positive relationships between the FoMO syndrome and all the studied difficulties in emotional regulation (Lack of emotional awareness; Lack of emotional clarity; Limited access to emotion regulation strategies; Nonacceptance of emotional responses; Impulse control difficulties; and Difficulty engaging in goal-directed behaviour). Furthermore, the results show the positive relationship between time spent on social media and the occurrence of the FoMO syndrome. The gender differences at the significance level were not confirmed either related to the FoMO syndrome or the individual difficulties in emotional regulation. The results are discussed based on their causality. The findings in the present study suggest the existence of the relationship between the FoMO syndrome and lack of emotional awareness. Furthermore, we consider the existence of mutuality of the relationship. This suggests a perspective when experienced difficulties in emotional regulation in adolescents may result in ineffective emotional regulation and may be manifested by escaping from real to virtual world through online communication on social media.In students, the FoMO syndrome causes negative consequences in their emotional experience, and triggers anxiety that they are missing out on opportunities, important information or events. Such anxiety makes them to follow information and social media more often, and to communicate and be informed constantly. It also triggers feelings of regret and guilt in an individual for having made a bad decision, for not being in the right place at the right time, and thus experiencing regret over missed opportunities which can have a negative impact on academic achievement and learning outcomes.

Keywords:

FoMO syndrome, emotional regulation, adolescence.