Maximization, regret and social comparison as predictors of fear of missing out

Abstract

Contemporary lifestyles have given rise to many forms of entertainment. People are highly social and engage in various different activities to entertain themselves. They have increased access to social media where they can get a glimpse into the lives of their peers. Young adults especially, tend to partake in these activities. With such a lifestyle also come the negative emotions associated with missing out on events and comparing oneself to others. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and Tendency to Maximize among Indian college students. This paper further investigates the individual and collective predictive capacity of Tendency to Maximize, Tendency to Regret and Social Comparison on FOMO. The study employed a survey method. Standardized questionnaires were administered to students from some of the metropolitan cities of India.  The results indicate that there exists a significant positive correlation between Fear of missing out and Social comparison, Fear of Missing Out and Tendency to Maximize, as well as Fear of Missing Out and tendency to Regret. Furthermore, the study also found that there exists a significant difference in the experience of FOMO between Maximizers and Satisficers. Theoretical and quantitative findings are discussed in detail.