In this episode I talk about FOMO, a phenomenon that feels especially strong in the social media era. How can we recognize it and what can we do about it?

Sources & interesting reads:

• Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841–1848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014

• Elhai, J. D., Yang, H., & Montag, C. (2021). Fear of missing out (FOMO): overview, theoretical underpinnings, and literature review on relations with severity of negative affectivity and problematic technology use. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 43(2), 203–209. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0870

• https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/wellbeing/fear-of-missing-out-fomo

• https://www.thewellnesscorner.com/blog/transforming-fomo-to-jomo

• https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CentreforMentalHealth_Briefing_53_Social_Media.pdf

• https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/anxiety-loneliness-and-fear-missing-out-impact-social-media-young-peoples-mental-health/

• https://socialmediavictims.org/mental-health/fomo/#:~:text=Anxiety%20about%20missing%20out%20prompts,media%20and%20perpetuates%20the%20cycle

• “FoMO” is a key risk factor for mental health and burnout at work. (2024). In Mental Health Weekly Digest (p. 346). NewsRX LLC.

• Yuksel, P., & Zhang, W. (2025). A brief report on making meaning of FoMO: post-Covid mental health and wellbeing in Minority Serving Institute. Discover Mental Health, 5(1), Article 99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00240-3

• Kong, L., Sun, H., He, W., & Hu, W. (2024). Distraction or motivation? Unraveling the role of fear of missing out on college students’ learning engagement. BMC Psychology, 12(1), Article 687. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02164-z