Fear of Missing Out and its Link with Social
Media and Problematic Internet Use
Among Filipinos
Marc Eric S. Reyes, Jacquelyn P. Marasigan,
Heinalou Jaycelle Q. Gonzales, Krystel Lainey M.
Hernandez, Michael Allen O. Medios,
Ryan Francis O. Cayubit
University of Santo Tomas
The rise of the social media and Internet in the 21st century has brought
forth an anxious feeling among users known as Fear of Missing Out
(FoMO), a form of social anxiety caused by the concern of not being in
touch with the events in the cyber world. According to Ryan and Deci’s
Self-determination Theory (SDT), people have increased their social
media and Internet use in order to satisfy basic psychological needs.
Hence, FoMO may be involved in the relationship between social
media/Internet use and the satisfaction of certain psychological needs
wherein one is anxious of being left out. Given the considerable extent to
which Filipinos use the social media and Internet, a gap exists regarding
the role that FoMO might play in social media use (SMU) and
problematic Internet use (PIU) among Filipinos. Thus, the present study
explored the relationship among FoMO, SMU, and PIU among Filipinos.
A total of 1,060 Filipinos completed a test battery comprising of three
scales to measure the said variables: Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) scale,
Social Networking Time Use Scale (SONTUS), and Internet Addiction
Test (IAT). Statistical analyses showed that FoMO is significantly related
with both SMU and PIU and that fear of missing out is able to predict
both social media use and problematic Internet use. Limitations and
recommendations were likewise discussed to guide future research.
The 21st century has been described as the Internet age because
information from throughout the world can be easily retrieved (Huan,
Ang, & Chye, 2014). Because of ability to gain access to computers and
Internet from a very early age, today’s young adults have been labeled as
the “digital generation” or the “digital natives” (McMullen, 2012).
Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become an
essential part of most people’s lives due to its utility value in many areas.
_______________________________
Author info: Correspondence should be sent to: Dr. Marc Eric S. Reyes:
Department of Psychology, University of Santo Tomas, Manila,
Philippines Email address: msreyes@ust.edu.ph
North American Journal of Psychology, 2018, Vol. 20, No. 3, 503-.518.
 NAJP
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The Internet is often referred to as the “Information Highway”
(Adekunmisi, Ajala, & Iyoro, 2013, p. 2) as it involves a globally
interconnected set of computers through which information could be
easily accessed to millions of people worldwide. Indeed, it has been an
invaluable tool for research, teaching, and learning (Adekunmisi et al.,
2013) as well as an enhancer of social lives due to increased social
interactions (Hamburger & Hayat, 2011). The rapid influx and
exponential growth of the Internet in the 21st century has also paved the
way for the growth of social media. Social media is defined by Heffner
(2016) as the “websites and applications that permit users to create and
share content or engage in social networking” (p. 2).
The growth of social media and Internet use has been evident in the
past few years and projections of different researchers have shown that
this increase will continue in the future. This upsurge in social media and
Internet use seems to be affecting the way people live their lives.
Gatherings intended for bonding and conversation have turned into
gatherings where most people are using their phones instead of
interacting with one another (Luckerson, 2015).
Due to the increase in the use of the Internet, researchers have
recognized the existence of excessive Internet use. Problematic Internet
use (PIU) has been described as the incapacity to control an individual’s
use of the Internet, which leads to adverse consequences in one’s daily
life (Spada, 2014). Others regard it as “an Internet use that is risky,
excessive, or impulsive in nature that leads to adverse life consequences,
specifically physical, emotional, social or functional impairment”
(Jelenchick, Hawk, & Moreno, 2016, p. 1). PIU can also be referred to as
Internet addiction (Brenner, 1997; Young, 1998), and pathological
Internet use (Davis, 2001). A study concerning the problematic Internet
use of Dutch adolescents by Jelenchick et al. (2016) revealed that there is
a 22% increase in an individual’s chance of engaging in PIU for every
additional year in his or her age. Moreover, those who habitually post
four or more times per day to a social networking site (SNS) are likely to
use the said SNS without regard for the real social world. Moreover, boys
were more prone to it than girls (Jelenchick, et al., 2016).
One study revealed that loneliness is the most relevant variable
associated with the excessive use of the Internet (Bozoglan, Demirer, &
Sahin, 2013) and is more likely related to restricted interpersonal
relationships (Huan et al., 2014). Moreover, there is proneness to use
Internet-communication applications among those who have poor
perceived qualities of social interactions and low social competence
(Bhagat, 2015). They are also said to be poor at socializing in real life,
which leads to overuse of social media and many problems (Huan et al.,
2014; Xu & Tan, 2012). Aside from these, several variables also predict
Reyes, Marasigan, Gonzales, Hernandez, Medios & Cayubit
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PIU such as female gender, suicidal behaviors, conduct problems,
hyperactivity/ inattention (Kaess et al., 2014), anxiety and depression
(Kaess et al., 2014; Moreno, Jelenchick, & Christakis, 2013; Wegmann
& Brand, 2016). Some researchers also suggested the importance of
considering socio-cultural determinants in relation to Internet addiction.
They found that people who have been raised in collectivist, hierarchical,
family-focused societies are at higher risk of developing Internet
addiction (Choi & Ross, 2006).
With the growth of the Internet, social media have also been
spreading. Social networking sites (SNSs) are the most well-known
social media (Mayfield, 2008) and are said to be virtual communities
where users can make their own profiles, communicate with friends and
family, and meet others with shared interests (Kuss & Griffiths, 2011).
The current status of SNSs has been recognized by most people as a
worldwide phenomenon (Kittinger, Coreia, & Irons, 2012). A survey
conducted by the American Press Institute (2015) showed that social
networks are now regarded as news platforms wherein most respondents
get news from Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Currently, Facebook
has 2.2 billion monthly active users worldwide, making it one of the most
popular social media applications (Statistica, 2018).
Several researchers have searched for possible factors which may
predispose an individual to use social media and/or Internet. One
prominent example is found in a study by Przybylski, Murayama,
DeHaan, and Gladwell (2013) which recognized the mediating role of a
phenomenon called Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) in people’s social
media and Internet use. They conceptualized it as a “pervasive
apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from
which one is absent” (Przybylski et al., 2013, p. 1). It is characterized by
the need to stay constantly connected with what others are doing. Others
define it as a form of social anxiety which is a compulsive concern that
one might miss an opportunity for social interactions, satisfying events,
rewarding experiences (Vaidya, Jaiganesh, & Krishnan, 2015).
According to a study of Herman (n.d.), there are two contributing factors
to FoMO namely: the mobile revolution and the booming of social media
such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These expose individuals to a
wide array of opportunities that make one feel that every act counts and
not one opportunity should ever be missed (Hernan, n.d.). FoMO is
associated with negative emotional states such as loneliness, boredom,
and negative mood or depressed feelings (Browne, Aruguete,
McCutcheon, & Medina, 2018; Burke, Marlow, & Lento, 2010;
Wortham, 2011).
Several studies have also supported the relationship of FoMO with
social media use. A survey in the United States revealed that 56% of
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social media users suffer from FoMO (Murphy, 2013). They tend to be
afraid of missing out on events, news, and status updates in social
networks and tend to urgently keep an eye on them (Abel, Buff, & Burr,
2016; Murphy, 2013). Dossey (2014) elaborated a vicious cycle that
operates in individuals with high levels of FoMO, wherein oftentimes
they end up feeling increasingly sad and lonely because they substitute
social media contact for real personal interaction with others, increasing
further their sense of isolation, yielding a high level of FoMO. This
compulsive need to become one who actively takes part in social media
engagements brings about the risk of increased use of the Internet.
Social Media and Internet Use in the Philippines
The proliferation of social media and Internet use can be seen in
various parts of the world. According to the compiled statistical report of
We Are Social (2018), the Philippines has the most social media usage in
the world, as the number of Internet users reached 67 million nationwide
with an average daily time usage of nine hours and twenty nine minutes
via any device. The data from this study reflect the 12% annual growth of
Filipino social media and Internet users from the previous year. Among
social media applications, Facebook has the most number of users (67
million), followed by Youtube (We Are Social, 2018).
Filipinos may be motivated to frequently use the Internet because it
has become a very reinforcing stimulus; It provides users with an
immediate and easy access to attain satisfaction and empowerment to
manage the way they present themselves, regardless of their true identity
or physical characteristics (Wong, Yuen, & Li, 2015). As a matter of fact,
50% of Filipinos aged 14 to 23 years old use the Internet and mobile
phones to expand their circle of relationships by engaging in online chat
groups, forums, and social networking sites (Pertierra, 2006). Other
effects of the Internet among Filipinos include greater productivity and
personal enhancement (Hechanova & Ortega-Go, 2014). Internet usage
among Filipinos also has some negative consequences, such as social
harm. The increasingly high use of the Internet in the Philippines has
caused several researchers to study the existence of PIU in the
Philippines. PIU has been known to exist in various parts of Asia,
particularly in the Philippines wherein 51% of the population has been
found to engage in PIU (Mak et al., 2014). Some of the adverse effects of
spending an enormous time on the Internet may be a reduction in social,
healthy, work-related, and school-related activities, unhealthy
relationships, and changing sleeping and eating patterns in a harmful way
(Spada, 2014).
Logically, the expansion of the Internet has been side by side with
social media. Labucay (2011) grouped the different motives of Filipino
Reyes, Marasigan, Gonzales, Hernandez, Medios & Cayubit
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Internet use into five categories. According to her, Filipinos use the
Internet for seeking or learning information, for social networking
through Facebook and Twitter, for creativity and production purposes,
for commercial activity or online purchasing, and for entertainment and
leisure or online games. Recently, We Are Social (2018) enumerated
Filipinos’ weekly online activities namely: visit a social network, use of
search engines, play games, watch videos, and look for product
information. Both studies regarded social networking as the most
engaged online activity (Labucay, 2011; We Are Social, 2018). “Social
network” and “Social media” are sometimes used interchangeably in the
Philippines in the sense that they both enable individuals to interact with
the website and its visitor. It is important to state, however, that social
media is a broader term and social networks are only examples of it
(Tamayo & Dela Cruz, 2014). There are few studies that explored the use
of social media in the Philippines. Areola, Evora, Maranan, and Maximo
(2016) found that Filipino youth have an overall positive perception of
social media as platforms for advocacy communication. Moreover,
Congjuico (2014) emphasized the utilization of social media in times of
risk management and emergency response by local government units
(LGU) and concluded that social media, particularly Facebook, provide
users with an elevated degree of social presence, increased support for
social interaction and social integration as well as strengthened heroism
(“bayanihan”) spirit. Aside from these, Morallo (2014) also noted that
student-respondents use SNSs to connect with their friends instead of
using it for academic purposes and found that SNSs usage had no
significant relationship with student academic performance.
The continuous rise in the use of social media and Internet has caused
researchers to search for possible factors related tpdo it and one such was
the fear of missing out (Przybylski et al., 2013). The relationship of
FoMO to social media and Internet use can be explained by the Selfdetermination theory of Ryan and Deci (2000). According to the theory,
adequate self-regulation and psychological health are situated on the
satisfaction of three basic psychological needs, namely: competence,
which is the capacity to efficaciously act on the world, autonomy which
refers to self-authorship or personal initiative, and lastly, relatedness or
closeness with others. Following this theory, it was shown that
individuals with less satisfaction of their basic psychological needs
reported higher levels of FoMO and increased behavioral engagement to
social media (Alt, 2016; Oberst, Wegmann, Stodt, Brand, & Chamarro,
2017; Przybylski et al., 2013). Furthermore, low satisfaction of basic
psychological needs may lead to social media engagement in two ways.
It could directly lead to social media use wherein one may engage in it
more in order to connect with others, to deepen social ties, and to develop
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social competence. It could also lead to social media use indirectly,
linked by FoMO wherein the said deficits could lead to a general
sensitivity to FoMO, resulting in social media engagement (Przybylski et
al., 2013). Other studies have also supported the indirect relationship
between social reassurance needs and social media use, which is
mediated by FoMO (Abeele & Rooij, 2016; Beyens, Frison, &
Eggermont, 2016; Lai, Altavilla, Ronconi, & Aceto, 2016).
Similarly, FoMO has also been found to be related to PIU. A study
indicated that fear of missing out and avoidance expectancies mediate the
effect of psychopathology on Internet-communication disorder and that
psychopathological symptoms predict both the expectancies to escape
from problems in real life by utilizing Internet-communication
applications and the fear of missing out on Internet-communication
networks (Oberst et al., 2017). The study also showed that onlinespecific FoMO significantly mediates the addictive use of Internetcommunication applications. Moreover, the use of smart phones and
other handheld devices to satisfy the need for connection may actually
increase users' FoMO, being in a vicious cycle perpetuated by the
virtually unlimited sources of information and connections that are being
offered (Oberst et al., 2017). The preference for online over face-to-face
interaction serves as a social compensation strategy and is a predictor of
problematic Internet use (Weinstein et al., 2015). Another supporting
study attributed PIU to certain deficiency needs such as low selfconfidence and low self-esteem that are being fulfilled through the use of
interactive applications. The higher the needs, the greater the extent
through which they engage problematically in these types of online
applications (Hawi, 2012). Wong et al. (2015) also found that the level of
psychological distress increases as a person fails to achieve his or her
basic needs, which results in engaging more in Internet activities as
forms of compensation. This leads to the development of problematic use
that hinders the possible resolution of distress (Wong et al., 2015).
Given the considerable extent to which Filipinos use social media and
the Internet, a certain gap still exists regarding the role that FoMO might
play in the said engagement. There is still no current information on
whether FoMO might be involved in the PIU of the said population.
More explicitly, there are no existing studies in the literature that
explored FoMO and its relationship with social media and problematic
Internet use in the Philippines.
Therefore, the present study was conducted in order to investigate the
relationship among fear of missing out (FoMO), social media use (SMU),
and problematic Internet use (PIU). Using various scales, we tested the
hypotheses that FoMO, SMU, and PIU are related to one another wherein
higher levels of FoMO increase the likelihood of SMU and PIU among
Reyes, Marasigan, Gonzales, Hernandez, Medios & Cayubit
FoMO
509
Filipinos. Moreover, through this study, information about FoMO and its
link to increased susceptibility to social media and problematic Internet
use can be disseminated to professionals, students, parents, and others
with the hope of preventing possible adverse consequences related to it.
METHOD
Research Design
The current study is cross-sectional predictive in nature. According
to Johnson (2001), this type of research deals with the forecasting or
prediction of a phenomenon based on data collected from participants at
a single point in time. This is true to the current research where the
objective is to determine if fear of missing out (FoMO) is related to
increases in the social networking time use (SONTUS) and problematic
internet use (PIU) of the participants.
Participants
The present study involved 1,060 Filipino participants in the
Philippines (414 males & 646 females) with ages ranging from 18 to 65
(M = 25.22, SD = 9.83). Participants were selected through nonprobability convenience sampling from various locations in Luzon such
as Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Tarlac, Quezon City, among others. The
study was conducted in person and selected participants were given a
written informed consent prior to test administration. Moreover,
participation was voluntary and no compensation was given.
Measures
Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMO Scale). The Fear of Missing Out
Scale is a 10-item self-report questionnaire developed by Przybylski et al.
(2013) designed to measure the level of fear of missing out among
participants. Sample items include “I fear others have more rewarding
experiences than me” and “I get anxious when I don’t know what my
friends are up to.” The items were answered on a five-point Likert scale
ranging from 1 (Not at all true of me) to 5 (Extremely true of me).
Scoring the scale entails averaging the responses of an individual on all
the items. The scale is interpreted straightforwardly: the higher an
individual’s score, the higher the individual’s fear of missing out. Aside
from this, using adolescent samples, principal components analysis
verified the presence of a 1-factor model, maintaining a strong internal
consistency (α = .93) of all 10 original scale items. This confirms the
scale’s suitability for the analysis (Perrone, 2016), as does a very recent
study showing that the Fear of Missing Out Scale has good reliability and
construct validity (Browne et al., 2018). In the present study, the FoMO
scale had a Cronbach’s alpha of .85.
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Social Networking Time Use Scale (SONTUS). The Social
Networking Time Use Scale is a 29-item self-report questionnaire
developed by Olufadi (2016) designed to measure the time spent by
people on social networking sites (SNS). The scale consists of 5
components: (1) relaxation and free periods (e.g. “When you are at home
sitting idly”), (2) academic-related periods (e.g. “When you are at a
seminar/workshop or training program”), (3) public-places-related use
(e.g. “When you go to the stadium to watch football, basketball, etc.”),
(4) stress related periods (e.g. “When you need to reduce your emotional
stress”), and (5) motives for use (e.g. “When you are in bed about to
sleep”). All items fall on an 11-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Not
applicable to me during the past week) to 11 (I used it more than 3 times
during the past week but spend more than 30 min each). The author
deliberately utilized an 11-point scale with specific descriptions in an
attempt to avoid the generality and subjectivity of the typical Likert
scale. Five component scores are derived to score the SONTUS. These
are then summed to produce a global score that ranges from 5 to 23. The
global score is then interpreted as low SNS use for scores ranging from 5
to 9, average SNS use for scores ranging from 10 to 14, high SNS use for
scores ranging from 15 to 19, and extremely high SNS use for scores
above 19. The internal consistency of SONTUS was examined using
Cronbach’s alpha, yielding a value of .92 (Olufadi, 2016). It is also
known to have a moderately positive and significant association (between
.26 to .43) to two related constructs (Internet Addiction Test & Facebook
Addiction Scale, Olufadi, 2016). The five components of the scale have
Cronbach’s alpha values of .91, .89, .85, .86, and .83, respectively
(Olufadi, 2016). The whole scale had a Cronbach’s alpha of .93 in the
present study.
Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The Internet Addiction Test is a 20item scale developed by Young (1998) designed to measure the presence
and severity of Internet dependence among adolescents and adults.
Sample items include “How often do you find that you stay online longer
than you intended?” and “How often do you find yourself anticipating
when you will go online again?” The items fall on a five-point Likert
scale ranging from 0 (Not applicable) to 5 (Always). A total score is
derived by adding the ratings given by the test taker on all the items. It is
then interpreted as normal Internet use for 0 to 30 points, mild Internet
addiction for 31 to 49 points, moderate Internet addiction for 50 to 79
points, and severe Internet addiction for 80 to 100 points. The initial
investigation of the IAT’s psychometric properties has shown strong
internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from .90 to .93 and
good test–retest reliability (r = .85) (Jelenchick, Becker, & Moreno,
2012). Moreover, the IAT showed concurrent validity with the
Reyes, Marasigan, Gonzales, Hernandez, Medios & Cayubit
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511
Compulsive Internet Use Scale (r = .84, p < .001) using Malaysian
students (Guan, Isa, Hashim, Pillai, & Singh, 2015). In the present study,
the IAT had a Cronbach’s alpha of .93.
Procedure
Approval was first obtained from the College of Science Ethical
Review Board (ERB) of the University of Santo Tomas. Filipino samples
were obtained through convenience sampling. The study was conducted
in person and the testing protocols given to the selected participants
consisted of an informed consent, a personal data sheet, a test battery
comprised of the three scales (FoMO Scale, SONTUS, IAT). Participants
were also given a concise debriefing after completing the questionnaires
to provide them with information regarding the nature and purpose of the
study. Upon completion of data acquisition, data were encoded and
analyzed. Initial analyses included the computation of descriptive
statistics, after which, the data were subjected to Multiple Correlation
and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis with Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences and Microsoft Excel as the main statistical tools.
RESULTS
Descriptive statistics revealed the following: Fear of Missing Out
(FoMO) Scale (M = 23.74, SD = 7.60), Social Networking Time Use
Scale (SONTUS) (M = 149.32, SD = 55.16), and Internet Addiction Test
(IAT) (M = 37.57, SD = 18.15). Likewise, it was found that 98.39% of
the participants used Facebook most frequently among other types of
social media applications such as Messenger (88.11%), YouTube
(85.94%), Google (74.24%), and Instagram (64.90%).
Results revealed that Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), social media use,
and problematic Internet use are significantly related to each other at the
.01 level (two-tailed). More specifically, Table 1 shows that a positive
relationship exists among the said variables.
TABLE 1 Intercorrelations Among the Variables
FOMO
Fear of Missing Out
SONTUS
Problematic Internet Use
SONTUS
.41**
-
PIU
.57**
.60**
-
Note. N = 1,060 **p < .01
A multiple regression was likewise calculated in order to determine
whether fear of missing out predicts social networking time use and
problematic Internet use. Results revealed that FoMO significantly
explains 17% of the variance in social media use, (R2 = .166, F(1, 1,058)
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= 212.26, p < .001) and that participants’ FoMO (β = 2.97, p < .001)
significantly predicts their social networking time use. It was also found
that FoMO significantly explains 33% of the variance in problematic
Internet use, (R2 = .329, F(1, 1,058) = 519.11, p < .001) with FoMO (β =
1.37, p < .001).
DISCUSSION
In response to current prominence of social media/Internet use in the
Philippines, we investigated the relationships among fear of missing out,
social media use as measured by SONTUS, and problematic Internet use.
The present research found that Filipino participants extensively engage
in social media, particularly Facebook, among other social media
applications. At the same time, they are likely to have difficulty in
controlling their use of the Internet in various situations thereby engaging
in a certain degree of PIU.
Our findings are consistent with previous studies which indicated that
FoMO significantly predicts social media usage (SMU). As mentioned
previously, past researchers have regarded psychological needs
satisfaction as the primary factor involved in the association between
FoMO and social media usage. More specifically the deficiency in
psychological needs may lead individuals to social media use indirectly
through FoMO. One plausible reason for the relationship between FoMO
and SMU is the tendency of other people’s social media posts to yield
false intentions to the individual with FoMO; individuals with FoMO
may misinterpret the posts of other people about pleasurable events as
having better living conditions than them, which further reinforces the
use of social media to be continually updated (Kellner, 2013). These
individuals fail to perceive that what they see on social media is a
polished version of someone’s life, highly polarized and leaning towards
the positive (Reagle, 2015). Another possible reason can be found in the
“excessive reassurance pathway” (p.160), wherein socially insecure
people use social media for social reassurance (Billieux, Maurage,
Lopez-Fernandez, Kuss, Griffiths, 2015).
The present study also found that PIU is related to and is predicted
significantly by FoMO. These findings are generally supported by
previous studies stating that FoMO mediates the use of Internetcommunicative applications and coexists with excessive Internet use.
Although several studies (Jelenchick et al., 2016; Oberst et al., 2017)
have tried to investigate FoMO and PIU’s relationship, none have stated
other possible reasons aside from Ryan and Deci’s Self-determination
theory.
People have been known to value interpersonal relations and
cooperation among each other. Thus, individuals may prefer engaging in
recreational activities that enable them to strengthen their bond with their
Reyes, Marasigan, Gonzales, Hernandez, Medios & Cayubit
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513
peers. However, maintaining most of their time with others face-to-face
can be difficult especially if they are geographically distant from each
other. Given the ability of social media and Internet to update people
easily as well as maintain interpersonal communications even when
people are apart, Filipinos may engage in social media and Internet use to
stay connected with others virtually in order to satisfy the need for
relatedness. This satisfaction of the need for relatedness is in line with the
notion of previous researchers involving various non-Filipino
participants (e.g. Israeli, British, and Latin Americans) (Alt, 2016; Oberst
et al., 2017; Przybylski et al., 2013). Thus, Filipinos may engage in social
media and Internet use as a means to ameliorate FoMO brought by the
deficits in their need for relatedness. However, Wong et al. (2015) argued
that social media as a compensation strategy may not be sufficient to
satisfy one’s need for relatedness because it cannot actually replace faceto-face interaction. This may further lead to the development of
problematic use of the Internet wherein one has an uncontrollable urge
for engagement in social media and Internet beyond the extent already
detrimental to the person’s well-being.
We found that FoMO was more strongly related to PIU than SMU, a
possible reason for this is that the Internet offers a broad range of
activities (e.g., online gaming, online trends, latest news, blogs, etc.)
which an individual might miss out on and social media is just one of
those possible activities. Simply stated, some individuals with FoMO use
social media to alleviate these feelings whereas some prefer other
activities that the Internet has to offer to ease their FoMO. Hechanova
and Ortega-Go (2014) mention other reasons why Filipinos use the
Internet aside from social media, such as for expression, interaction,
news and information, school-related activities, e-commerce, technology
deviance, and recreation. Likewise, Hopp (2016) stated that there are
several aspects of the Internet that satisfy the needs for autonomy,
competence, and relatedness. Moreover, the idea that FoMO can exist
beyond social media and can be applied to anything such as movies,
investments, and other experiences provided for by the Internet is
supported by Quesenberry (2015). Thus, it can be said that FoMO is able
to predict PIU more than it was able to predict SMU because individuals
with FoMO have more options to satisfy their basic needs through the
Internet as compared to social media alone.
In conclusion, the present study was able to confirm the positive
relationships among FoMO, SONTUS, and PIU as well as the ability of
FoMO to predict increased levels of SONTUS and PIU in the
Philippines. The importance of the findings lies in its ability to raise the
awareness of readers regarding the current status of social media use and
problematic Internet use among Filipinos. Such information may also
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increase their existing knowledge about some potential effects of social
media and Internet on people (e.g., Burke et al., 2010; Herman, n.d.;
Wortham, 2011). Moreover, the implications of the findings are also
time-relevant because social media and Internet usage are rapidly
growing in the country.
Future Directions
There are no existing studies in the literature that explored FoMO and
its relationship with social media and problematic Internet use in the
Philippines. Further research may be required to gain a more complete
picture of the link between fear of missing out with social media and
problematic Internet use among Filipinos. Since FoMO is a relatively
new construct, future studies may also explore whether the link among
FoMO, SMU, and PIU is universal or found in some cultures or
countries, but not others. Future research may also investigate possible
reasons for the relationship between FoMO and PIU. Future research
may also answer (1) whether specific demographic variables such as age,
gender, or social economic conditions have an effect on FoMO, SMU,
and PIU, (2) whether age-related differences affect how different
demographics select which social media applications to use, (3) what are
the differences in the different social media sites (4) and what protective
factors, such as certain personality traits could buffer the effect of FoMO
on problematic Internet and social media use.
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