A 2013 study found that it can negatively impact mood and life satisfaction, lower self-esteem, and affect mindfulness. Four in ten young adults report experiencing FOMO sometimes or often. The study found that FOMO was negatively correlated with age, and that men were more likely to report the emotion than women. People with higher levels of FOMO tended to have a bahrain leads stronger desire for higher social status, were more competitive with people of the same sex, and were more interested in short-term relationships.
FOMO stems from a sense of lack of social connection or information. This lack is followed by a need or drive to increase connection through social interaction. FOMO not only has negative psychological effects, but also increases negative behavioral patterns. In order to maintain social connection, people develop or reinforce bad habits.
A 2019 study from the University of Glasgow surveyed 467 teenagers and found that respondents felt social pressure to be on call at all times.
According to John M. Grohol, founder and editor-in-chief of Psych Central, FOMO can cause people to constantly seek out new connections with others, forgoing existing ones. FOMO stemming from digital connections is positively correlated with bad technology habits, especially among young people. These bad habits include increased screen time, checking social media during school hours, or texting while driving. Using social media in the presence of others can be called phubbing, the habit of ignoring the actual person in order to use their phone.
Multiple studies have also found that sleep duration is negatively correlated with an individual’s level of fear of missing out. The lack of sleep among college students with FOMO can be attributed to the number of social interactions that occur on campus late at night. Another study highlighted the impact of FOMO on college students making poor decisions regarding drinking, such as underage drinking and binge drinking.