FEAR OF MISSING OUT IN ONLINE RELATIONSHIP, EMOTIONAL DISSATISFACTION AND TRUST ISSUES AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

Digital platforms have become essential parts of modern dating which changes how young adults develop their romantic relationships. The present study examines fear of missing out (FoMO) in online relationships and its impact on emotional dissatisfaction and trust issues among young adults in India. The researchers used a quantitative research design to collect data from 130 young adults who participated in online or digitally mediated romantic relationships. The study used standardized instruments which included the FoMO Scale, Relationship Assessment Scale, and Dyadic Trust Scale to measure its research variables. Descriptive analysis revealed high levels of FoMO which included anxiety and restlessness and fear of exclusion and a strong need for constant connectivity. Emotional dissatisfaction occurred when people experienced emotional unfulfilment and loneliness and perceived emotional distance and inconsistent emotional support. Trust issues appeared through partners' difficulty to trust their partners and their suspicion about concealment and their emotional reliance uncertainty. The correlation analysis showed that people who experienced FoMO developed emotional dissatisfaction while they faced trust issues which linked to their emotional dissatisfaction. The regression analysis results showed that FoMO serves as a valid predictor of trust problems but emotional dissatisfaction serves as a better predictor because it acts as a mediating factor. The results from independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA tests demonstrated that online relationship engagement and demographic characteristics affect these experiences in significant ways. The research demonstrates that FoMO functions as a relationship-based phenomenon which creates digital-based fears that damage emotional satisfaction and trust between people. The research study provides a combined framework which demonstrates how digital relationships affect emotional health in young adults to both relationship psychology and cyberpsychology fields.