Are You Hooked to the ‘Gram’? Exploring the Correlation between Loneliness, the Fear of Missing Out, and Instagram Usage among Young Indians

The amount of time spent on Instagram by young people in India has grown exponentially. This social media platform is a sea of visuals that reflect the activities people are engaging in. The constant viewing of other people’s lives can lead to a feeling of dissatisfaction about one’s own life. The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) emerges when an individual who is unable to participate in or engage with the activities of others, experiences feelings of loneliness and isolation. This study aims to examine the association between the time spent on Instagram and its effect on FoMO and Loneliness. The study sample consisted of 401 participants, primarily 18–24 years old, collected via convenience sampling methods. The single item Fear of Missing Out short form (FoMOsf) and the three-item Loneliness scale were administered to participants to measure FoMO and loneliness, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. A one-way analysis of variance was computed between the time one spends on Instagram and the variables of FoMO and loneliness. The analysis uncovered a statistically significant difference between the increasing amount of time spent on Instagram, that is, less than one hour, 1–2 hours, and three or more hours for FoMO [F (2,398) = 17.92, p < 0.05] and loneliness [F (2,398) = 3.57, p ≤ 0.029]. Therefore, more time spent on Instagram results in individuals experiencing significantly greater levels of FoMO and loneliness.