Missing the present for the unkown : the relationship between fear of missing out (FoMO) and life satisfaction

摘要

Fear of missing out (FoMO) is a type of internet slang used to describe the “pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent” (Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan & Gladwell, 2013, p. 1841). This pervasive fear encompasses an individual’s life and it is exacerbated by the social media updates of online counterparts. A study conducted by a South African pharmaceutical company revealed that 62% of the respondents have a constant fear of missing out on something that might be happening elsewhere. This study underscores the relevance of studying FoMO as a construct in the South African context. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between FoMO and satisfaction with life, as these two constructs have previously shown to be negatively correlated. The self-proclaimed FoMO sufferers who will be partaking in this study will be requested to complete an online questionnaire to establish the nature of the relationship between FoMO and satisfaction with life.