The Link Between Social Media and the Fear of Missing Out Among Senior High School Students of General De Jesus College

Abstract

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a sensation experienced by people terrified of missing out on activities and is linked to various undesirable life situations and sentiments. This study aims to determine the possible relationship between social media and fear of missing out (FOMO) among the senior high school students of General de Jesus College. This study employed a descriptive research method, utilizing the Self Determination theory. Simple random sampling was used. Three hundred forty senior high school students of General De Jesus College completed a self-reported questionnaire that included measures of fear of missing out and social media exposure. The results indicate that most of the respondents spent a significant amount of time on social media, which may be linked to their fear of missing out, affecting their mental well-being, social interaction, academic performance, productivity, and physical well-being. Based on the findings, there was a link between social media use and fear of missing out. The number of social media accounts used and the amount of time spent on them became an indicator of FOMO. The longer the exposure to social media is, the higher the chance they fear missing out. Also, the higher number of social media they possess specifies that they are more likely to check in for updates, so they would not fear missing out. These actions may result in feeling lonely, which can also hamper their academic performance and well-being.