This content has been automatically translated from Ukrainian.
In the modern world, each of us is a creator and spectator of our own reality show, inevitably leading to the feeling that others are living a more fulfilling life. This feeling, known in psychology as Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), is a result of the complex interaction between social media, neurobiological processes, and societal expectations.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is defined as a persistent anxiety that arises from the thought that others may be having exciting, important, or unique experiences while you are absent. This state is a direct result of several psychological mechanisms:
- According to social comparison theory by Leon Festinger, people have an inherent tendency to evaluate their abilities and beliefs by comparing them to others. Social media provides an unlimited number of objects for this comparison, but with one important nuance: we compare our "real" lives to the idealized "facade" that others present.
- Self-determination theory — is a theory that asserts that for psychological well-being, a person needs three basic needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. FOMO undermines all three. The constant fear of missing out diminishes the sense of autonomy, the illusion of others' success leads to doubt in one's own competence, and idealized images evoke feelings of social isolation.
- From a neurobiological perspective, social media operates on the principle of intermittent reinforcement. When we see a new notification or like, the brain releases dopamine, creating a feeling of pleasure. This process forms behavioral addiction. The fear of missing out on a new "dopamine stimulus" is a key component of FOMO.
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