FOMO — Fear of Missing Out. How Does It Affect Your Life?
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is the anxiety that others are having better experiences. Learn the psychology of FOMO, its mental health impact, and how to cope.
What is FOMO?
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is the pervasive feeling that other people are doing something wonderful — and you're missing it. It's not simple envy. It's an anxiety that drives compulsive phone checking, late-night scrolling, and dissatisfaction even when your life is objectively fine.
Przybylski and colleagues (2013) at Oxford created the first scientific FOMO scale, defining it as "a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent."
Why FOMO is so common
Social media as amplifier: FOMO existed before Instagram, but social platforms multiplied it. You see curated highlights from hundreds of people simultaneously. Your brain compares their highlight reel with your behind-the-scenes.
Unmet psychological needs: Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan) suggests FOMO intensifies when three basic needs are unmet: competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
FOMO's impact on mental health
High FOMO consistently correlates with lower life satisfaction, worse mood, problematic smartphone use, sleep disruption, and lower academic performance.
How to cope
1. Identify your triggers — which apps or situations amplify FOMO? 2. Set screen time limits 3. Practice JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) — consciously enjoy what you're doing NOW 4. Invest in real relationships — one deep conversation beats 100 Instagram stories 5. Work on core needs — competence, autonomy, belonging
Take the free FOMO Test at PsychoProfil.pl — 10 questions, instant results.
Take the test for free
Instant results. No registration. Reliable scientific methodology.
Start test →