Understanding envy and fear of missing out in travel posts: The effects of Instagram sources and landmark types

Abstract

Although many studies reveal the effects of social media on destination choice or image, scant research investigates viewers' dynamic psychological nature induced by social media sources and contents. This study aims to fill that gap by examining the interaction effects of sources and landmark types on viewers' emotional and behavioral responses within the realm of social media-induced tourism. Utilizing a 2 (source type: influencer vs. peer) x 2 (landmark type: heritage vs. iconic) x 4 (message repetition) mixed-subject factorial design, an online experiment was conducted with 700 Instagram users randomly assigned to different conditions. The findings showed that influencers' posts exert a significant influence on outcome variables compared to peers' posts. Specifically, viewers exhibited increased levels of benign envy and a greater intention to visit when viewing influencers' posts about iconic landmarks. Individuals with high fear of missing out showed a heightened intention to visit when seeing peers’ posts about heritage landmarks. Based on the findings, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.