Social media and mindfulness: From the fear of missing out (FOMO) to the joy of missing out (JOMO)

Chan S. S., Van Solt M., Cruz R. E., Philp M., Bahl S., Serin N., ...More

Journal of Consumer Affairs, vol.56, no.3, pp.1312-1331, 2022 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 56 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/joca.12476
  • Journal Name: Journal of Consumer Affairs
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, ABI/INFORM, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, CAB Abstracts, Communication Abstracts, EconLit, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, PAIS International, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Veterinary Science Database, vLex
  • Page Numbers: pp.1312-1331
  • Keywords: mindfulness, social media, fear of missing out, joy of missing out, mental health
  • TED University Affiliated: No

Abstract

Copyright 2022 by The American Council on Consumer Interests.Mindless use of social media may lead to negative mental health outcomes for consumers. In this research, the authors focus on the fear of missing out (FOMO) as a key determinant of those negative outcomes by illustrating how repeated social media use forms a habit loop termed “social media FOMO.” The authors introduce a “Social Media FOMO to JOMO” framework, where they describe how mindless use can lead to social media FOMO and propose a novel Social Media Mindfulness Practice (SMMP) as a remedy to help consumers reduce FOMO and adopt a path called the joy of missing out (JOMO) that provides greater well-being. Based on the “Social Media FOMO to JOMO” framework and the SMMP, the authors suggest future research and highlight implications for consumers, marketers, and policy makers to promote more mindful social media use.