Social Media and the Fear of Missing Out among Adolescents: The Role of Peer Pressure

Abstract

Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is associated with more social media use. Individuals who experience more FoMO have the desire to be continuously connected with others and want to keep up to date with what others are doing. Therefore, adolescents with more FoMO will fulfil their psychological needs to have social contact by increasingly using social media, as these platforms allow adolescents to constantly stay in touch with others. The aim of current cross-sectional research among Dutch adolescents aged 16-25 (N = 338), who participated in an online survey, was to examine whether FoMO relates to both intensity of social media use (ISMU) and problematic social media use (PSMU). In addition, the extent to what sensitivity to peer pressure influences this relationship is investigated. The results showed support for the hypothesis that adolescents with high FoMO use social media more intensively and problematically. Furthermore, sensitivity to peer pressure only strengthens the impact of FoMO on PSMU. These findings can be used to educate adolescents about FoMO and (problematic) social media use. Moreover, schools could boost adolescents’ social skills and self-efficacy to help them cope with peer pressure.