FearofMissingOut:CaseStudy

BenjaminHarter
MassCommunication
Dr.ChristopherMartin
April102016

Socialinteractionamongsthumanshasalwaysbeenaverybasicpartoflivingahappy
andfulfillinglife,buttheseinteractionsweremuchdifferentpriortotheleveloftechnological
advancementthatwearesubjecttotoday.Landlinesandlettersinthemailhavebecome,forthe
mostpart,artifactsofthepastwhicharenowcriticizedasbeingtooslowandinconvenientfora
generationthathashadtheadvantageofgrowingintoinstantconnectivity.However,could
lightningfastresponsesandconstantattentionbeharmingusasasocietyinunforeseenways?
Knowingthatyouhavealloftheinformationintheworldaboutanybodyandanythingatyour
fingertipsleadsmanytoinadequatelystacktheirlivesupagainsttheprofilesandexperiencesof
theirpeerswhethertheybuyintotheideaornot.Communicationtheoristshavearguedthatthis
levelofhighspeedinteractionhasleadtouniquephenomenasuchasFoMO(orthefearof
missingout,)whichIwillbeofferingadetailedinterpretationofthroughoutthispaper.

WhenItookthetimetoevaluatemyuseofsocialmedia(whichispredominantly
FacebookandSnapchat,)theresultsweremuchlessthanpleasing.Throughoutmytimeof
owningasmartphoneitseemstobethecasethatIwouldmuchratherstayinformedofthe
accomplishmentsandaccoladesmypeershavereceivedinsteadofseekingthesamerewardsfor
myself.ThesefindingswerefarfromanisolatedincidentalmostallofthefivepeopleIhad
interviewedforthiscasestudycametotheconclusionthattheirfascinationwiththelivesof
othersoftensuppressedhappinessintheirown.Myinterviewswereconductedregardingtheuse
ofthepopularsocialnetworkingapplicationFacebook,onwhichallofmyrespondentshave
maintainedextensiveonlineprofiles.Tomakegatheringdataandcomparingresultsmore

efficient,Ihavedecidedtousenumericalanswerstoquestionswhichcanbefoundinthe
suggestedtenitemscaletomeasureforlevelsofFoMO.

Unsurprisingly,allofmyrespondentshadunanimouslyansweredthattheyexperience
increasedlevelsofstressandnervousnesswhentheymissoutonasocialopportunity.Ibelieved
thiswouldbeoneofthehighestscoringquestionsbecausethisisoftenmybiggestproblemwith
managingasocialmediapresence.Itsimplyisntpossibletoattendeverysingleeventorsocial
gathering,andyetfeelingsoflonelinessandstressincreasewhenwecomeacrossevidencethat
othersarehavingagoodtimewithoutus.Mysecondhighestscoringquestionfromthisscale
detailedthatmyrespondentsfeltasiftheirfriendshadfarmorerewardingexperiencesthanthey
have.Threeofmyfiverespondentsconfidedthatdailyupdatesfrommembersoftheirsocial
circlemadethemfeelinadequateandasiftheywerenotbeingproductive.Oneofthebiggest
problemswithsocialmediaistheforgottenfactthatpeopletendtopostaboutpositiveaspectsof
theirlifethatwillmakethempopularwithothers.Deepcleaninganddeliberatemanipulationof
publicimagesoftentimescausesafeelingthateveryoneelseisperfectandlivingtheirlifeina
morefulfillingwaythanyou.

Myrespondentsanswersallseemedtocorrelatewhenitcamedowntofeelinglonelyand
anxiousiftheyhadbeenleftoutofasocialgathering,evenifitwasanactivitytheywouldnt
haveenjoyedanyway.Ihavemaintainedthebeliefthatconstantstimulationandinformation
flowaboutothersmaynotbegoodformentalhealth,whichIbelievehasbeenillustrated
throughmyinterviewresults.Intheageofstaringdownataphoneforthemajorityofaday,

socialmediaseemstofillupavoidinthelivesofthosewhoshouldbeworkingonprogressing
theirown.

Oneofmyrespondentsfelthehaddevelopedasortofaddictiontosocialmediathathe
wantedtobreakduringLent,butwentbackonhispromiseandfoundhimselfpostingamere
weekafterhisstartdate.Thissortofthingneverseemedtobeaproblembeforeboomingpublic
useoftheInternet,andIfeelthatconsequencesofthefeelingofmissingoutmayhave
longlastingeffectsonoursocietyasawhole.However,anotheroneofmyrespondents
dismissedthatthishadanyeffectonhislifebecausehehasmetanumberofgoodfriends
throughthepopulardatingapplicationTinder.EventhoughIdidntconsiderthisconstructive
conversation,itcausedmetothinkthatmaybepeoplewhoarealreadyinsecureabouttheirown
situationsexperiencemorenegativeconsequencesfromusingsocialmedia.

Duringtheevaluationphaseofthiscasestudy,Iweighedboththepositiveandnegative
responsesIhadreceivedaboutthesocialmediauseofmyrespondents.Almosteveryone
believedthatitisafastandefficientwaytoshareinformationwiththeirfriendsandthepublic.
Forexample,relativeswholiveinfarawayplacesarenowaccessibleatthetouchofascreen
whichhasallowedformorefrequentconversationandbonding.Thatbeingsaid,myresultsalso
indicatethatsocialmediamoreoftenthannottendstomakepeoplefeelworseaboutsocial
aspectsoftheirlife.Thepopularityandpersonalachievementsofothersisallthatiseverseen,
andcomparisonsareoftenmadebasedonthesehighlightreelmoments.Largersocialnetworks

alsoseemtocorrelatewithfeelingalackofintimaterelationships,andmanagingmultiple
applicationsbecomingmoreofachorethanawaytoconnectonapersonallevel.

IbelievethatFoMOisatraitthatmanypeoplearepronetoanyway,soIcannotpinall
theblamesolelyonsocialmedia.LimitinghighlevelsofFoMOinsocialmediausersstems
fromfeelingadeepsenseofpurposeandfulfillmentinyourpersonallife.Everyonehastheir
ownseparateaudiencenow,whichhasneverbeenthecasebefore.Communicationhasnever
beeneasier,butitisstillimportanttogrowfromintimateexperienceandrealizethatthereis
moregoingonintheworldthanwhatyouseeothersdoing.Takingabreakfromsocialmedia
maybewhatalotofpeopleneed,becauseitisveryeasytofindyourselfwrappedupin.
Throughoutmypaper,Ihavedetailedthatinteractiononpopularsocialmediaapplicationsmay
causelowerlevelsofselfesteemandhigherlevelsofstressandnervousness.Lifeiscomplicated
enoughwhywouldyouvoluntarilyshoulderthelivesofhundredswhenitisnthelpingyou
growasaperson?