Relationship between Social Media Addiction, FOMO and Self-Esteem among Young Adults

Abstract

The technology driven world has impacted the lives of young adults the most. The urge to stay active and being connected to their friends and family members all the time has taken a toll on their psychological well-being. The anxiety created by the activities in social situations drives them to not miss out on anything. FOMO is the feeling that others are having more stimulating and rewarding experiences than them. The increased social media usage and constantly checking on others life events accordingly impacts people’s self-esteem. The present research aimed to study the relationship of Social Networking Addiction, FOMO and Self Esteem among young adults. Standardized tools were used to measure Social Networking Addiction, FOMO and Self-Esteem. A sample comprised 60 young adults in the age range of 18-25 years. The results revealed that there is significant positive correlation between social networking addiction and fear of missing out among young adults. There is also a significant positive correlation between self-esteem and conflict (sub-dimension of social networking addiction scale). However, there is no significant correlation between self- esteem with FOMO and self-esteem with social media addiction. To lessen the intensity of people experiencing FOMO, direct work should be done on the causes of FOMO. Developing a sense of gratitude for all the minor things people possess in their life could significantly impact FOMO levels and social media usage.