Attachment Insecurity and Social Media Fear of Missing Out: The Mediating Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty

Abstract

Fear of missing out (FoMO) is an apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent. Online social networking sites (SNS) exacerbate FoMO because they frequently expose users to what is happening in other people’s lives, which is typically related to leisure activities, such as trips, vacations, and social events. Consequently, when disconnected from social media, users become plagued by a troublesome sense of missing important and exciting events. Recent research indicates that FoMO is associated with difficulties in interpersonal interactions and social relationships. Accordingly, the current study examined the association between individual differences in attachment patterns and FoMO. Participants (N=264) completed measures of adult attachment patterns, social media fear of missing out, as well as intolerance of uncertainty. Results indicated that high levels of attachment anxiety predict high levels of FoMO, and that this association is partially mediated by intolerance of uncertainty. These findings suggest that anxiously attached individuals may be more vulnerable to FoMO, as a result of their inability to tolerate uncertainty. Hence, stress the need for awareness and treatment when individual develop an excessive dependency on SNS.