Anxious, bored, and (maybe) missing out: Evaluation of anxiety attachment, boredom proneness, and fear of missing out (FoMO)

UND Columbia Hall, 1350

Fear of missing out (FoMO) describes the state in which individuals have concern they are missing out on rewarding experiences. This concept derived from the proliferation of social media use. Currently there are gaps in the literature as it relates to FoMO, such as if anxiety attachment dimensions influence this concept? Similarly, boredom proneness could potentially be a factor that influences the extent to which one experiences FoMO. A sample of 450 adults from the United States was recruited. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test our model of anxiety and depression predicting anxiety attachment, which predicted FoMO and boredom proneness. We found that anxiety attachment mediated the relationship of FoMO with anxiety and depression. Anxiety attachment predicted FoMO, and this relationship was mediated by boredom proneness. We discuss the multi-dimensional nature of FoMO and the theoretical basis for our results. Limitations and suggestions for future research is outlined.