Skip to main content

Fear of Missing Out, Mobile Phone Dependency and Entrapment in Undergraduate Students

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Applied Psychology Readings

Abstract

The objective of this study is to observe the relationship between fear of missing out, mobile phone dependency and entrapment in undergraduate students from government and private colleges in Hyderabad, India. Purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 300 undergraduate students. The present study used the Fear of Missing Out Scale (Przybylski et al. in Comput Hum Behav 29(4):1841–1848, 2013), the Mobile Phone Dependence Questionnaire (Toda et al. in NipponEiseigakuZasshi (Jpn J Hyg) 59(4):383–386, 2004) and the Entrapment Scale (Hall and Baym in New Media Soc 14(2):316–331, 2012). Correlational analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between fear of missing out, mobile phone dependency and entrapment amongst undergraduate students from government and private colleges. The results of ANOVA found significant differences in fear of missing out, mobile phone dependency and entrapment amongst undergraduate students from government and private colleges. The limitations and implications are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abel, J. P., Buff, C. L., & Burr, S. A. (2016). Social media and the fear of missing out: Scale development and assessment. Journal of Business & Economics Research, 14(1), 33. (Online).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alabi, O. F. (2013). A survey of Facebook addiction level among selected Nigerian University undergraduates. New Media and Mass Communication, 10(2012), 70–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alavi, S. S., Maracy, M. R., Jannatifard, F., & Eslami, M. (2011). The effect of psychiatric symptoms on the internet addiction disorder in Isfahan’s university students. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 16(6).

    Google Scholar 

  • Alt, D. (2015). College students’ academic motivation, media engagement and fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 49, 111–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amichai-Hamburger, Y., & Ben-Artzi, E. (2003). Loneliness and internet use. Computers in Human Behavior, 19(1), 71–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aoki, K., & Downes, E. J. (2003). An analysis of young people’s use of and attitudes toward cell phones. Telematics and Informatics, 20(4), 349–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Australian Psychological Society. (2015). Stress and wellbeing in Australia Survey 2015. Retrieved from https://www.psychology.org.au/assets/files/pw15-sr.pdf.

  • Baron, N. S. (2008). Adjusting the volume: Technology and multitasking in discourse control. In J. Katz (Ed.), Handbook of mobile communication studies (pp. 177–193). Cambridge, MA: MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, N. (2011). Concerns about mobile phones: A cross-national study. First Monday, 16(8).

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, N., & Ling, R. (2007). Emerging patterns of American mobile phone use: Electronically mediated communication in transition. In G. Goggin & L. Hjorth (Eds.), Mobile Media 2007: Proceedings of an international conference on social and cultural aspects of mobile phones, media and wireless technologies (pp. 218–230). Sydney: University of Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baym, N. K. (2010). Personal connections in the digital age. Malden, MA: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bicen, H., & Cavus, N. (2010). The most preferred social network sites by students. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 5864–5869.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billieux, J., Van der Linden, M., & Rochat, L. (2008). The role of impulsivity in actual and problematic use of the mobile phone. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 22(9), 1195–1210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaudhry, L., & Prichard, F. O. (2015). Can you please put your phone away? Examining how the FOMO phenomenon and mobile phone addiction affect human relationships. Poster presented at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Retrieved from http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article1146&contexturesposters

  • Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technol. MIS Quarterly, 13(9), 319–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). The general causality orientations scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 19(2), 109–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devis, J. D., Carmen, P., Vicente, J. B., & Thomas, J. M. (2009). Screen media time usage of 12-16 year old Spanish school adolescents: Effects of personal and socioeconomic factors, season and type of day. Journal of Adolescence, 32(2), 213–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixit, S., Shukla, H., Bhagwat, A., Bindal, A., Goyal, A., Zaidi, A., et al. (2010). A study to evaluate mobile phone dependence among students of a medical college and associated hospital of central India. Indian Journal of, Community Medicine, 35(2), 339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donner, J., Rangaswamy, N., Steenson, M. W., & Wei, C. (2008). ‘‘Express Yourself’’ and ‘‘Stay Together’’: The middle-class Indian family. In Katz J (ed.), The handbook of mobile communication studies (pp. 325–338). Cambridge: MIT Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Duran, R. L., Kelly, L., & Rotaru, T. (2011). Mobile phones in romantic relationships and the dialectic of autonomy versus connection. Communication Quarterly, 59(1), 19–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elhai, J. D., Dvorak, R. D., Levine, J. C., & Hall, B. J. (2017). Problematic smartphone use: A conceptual overview and systematic review of relations with anxiety and depression psychopathology. Journal of Affective Disorders, 207, 251–259.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends:” Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), 1143–1168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ezoe, S., Toda, M., Yoshimura, K., Naritomi, A., Den, R., & Morimoto, K. (2009). Relationships of personality and lifestyle with mobile phone dependence among female nursing students. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 37(2), 231–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadgets often seen as status symbols: Sociology professor. (2013, March 31). Retrieved from http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report-gadgets-often-seen-as-status-symbols-sociology-professor-1817457.

  • García-Montes, J. M., Caballero-Munoz, D., & Perez-Alvarez, M. (2006). Changes in the self resulting from the use of mobile phones. Media, Culture and Society, 28(1), 67–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, J. A., & Baym, N. K. (2012). Calling and texting (too much): Mobile maintenance expectations, (over) dependence, entrapment, and friendship satisfaction. New Media & Society, 14(2), 316–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanley, A., & Wilhelm, M. S. (1992). Compulsive buying: An exploration into self-esteem and money attitudes. Journal of Economic Psychology, 13(1), 5–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herman, D. (2000). Introducing short-term brands: A new branding tool for a new consumer reality, Journal of Brand Management, 7(5), 330–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hooper, V., & Zhou, Y. (2007). Addictive, dependent, compulsive? A study of mobile phone usage. BLED 2007 Proceedings, 38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jayamaha, R. (2008). Impact of IT in the banking sector. Colombo. Retrieved from www.bis.org/review/r080201d.pdf.

  • Jenaro, C. N., Flores, M., Gómez-Vela, F., González, G., & Caballo, C. (2007). Problematic internet and cell-phone use: Psychological, behavioral, and health correlates. Addiction Research & Theory, 15(3), 309–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonas-Dwyer, D., & Pospisil, R. (2004, July). The millennial effect: Implications for academic development. In Proceedings of the 2004 Annual International Conference of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) (pp. 356–366).

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, J. E., & Aakhus, M. A. (2002). Introduction: Framing the Issues. In J. E. Katz and M. A. Aakus (Eds.), Perpetual Contact: Mobile Communication, Private Talk and Public Performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, E., Haas, H., & Gurevitch, M. (1973). On the use of the mass media for important things. American Sociological Review, 164–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Licoppe, C. (2004). ‘Connected’ presence: The emergence of a new repertoire for managing social relationships in a changing communication technoscape. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 22(1), 135–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Licoppe, C. (2008). The mobile phone’s ring. In Katz, J. (ed.), The handbook of mobile communication studies (p. 139–152). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ling, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cell phone’s impact on society. San Francisco, CA: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ling, R., & Yttri, B. (2002). Hyper-coordination via mobile phones in Norway. In J. E. Katz and M. Aarkhus (Eds.), Perpetual contact: Mobile communication, private talk, public performance (p. 139–169). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luna, K. (2014, April 04). Why we really experience FOMO. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/04/psychology-of-fomo_n_5079621.html.

  • Madrid, A. (2003). Mobile phones becoming a major addiction [Online]. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/10/1070732250532.html?from=storyrhs

  • Malespina, J. (2016, October 17). FOMO [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa16/2016/10/17/fomo/.

  • Merz, T. (2013, August 27). ‘Nomophobia’ affects majority of UK. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10267574/Nomophobia-affects-majority-of-UK.html.

  • Mishra, G. R. (2014, October, 28). Indians addicted to smartphones, says survey. Retrieved from http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/technology-others/indians-addicted-to-smartphones-says-survey/.

  • O’Guinn, T. C., & Faber, R. J. (1989). Compulsive buying: A phenomenological exploration. Journal of consumer research, 16(2), 147–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ophus, J. D., &Abbitt, J. T. (2009). Exploring the potential and perceptions of social networking systems in university courses. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 5(4), 639.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, N., Kee, K. F., & Valenzuela, S. (2009). Being immersed in social networking environment: Facebook groups, uses and gratifications, and social outcomes. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(6), 729–733.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Popcorn, F. (2012, July 16). FOMO: The only thing we have to fear is missing out. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/faith-popcorn/fomo-the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear_b_1677856.html.

  • Portus, L. M. (2008). How the urban poor acquire and give meaning to the mobile phones. In J. E. Katz (ed.), Handbook of mobile communication studies (pp. 105–118). Cambridge, MA: MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841–1848.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion of innovations: Modifications of a model for telecommunications. In Die Diffusion von Innovationen in der Telekommunikation (pp. 25–38). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanz, A. (2015, September 30). What’s the psychology behind the fear of missing out?. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2015/09/30/fomo_what_s_the_psychology_behind_the_fear_of_missing_out.html.

  • Schreckinger, B. (2014, August). The home of FOMO. Retrieved from http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2014/07/29/fomo-history/.

  • Subba, S. H., Mandelia, C., Pathak, V., Reddy, D., Goel, A., Tayal, A., … Nagaraj, K. (2013). Ringxiety and the mobile phone usage pattern among the students of a medical college in South India. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 7(2), 205–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subrahmanyam, K., Reich, S. M., Waechter, N., & Espinoza, G. (2008). Online and offline social networks: Use of social networking sites by emerging adults. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29(6), 420–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S., & Todd, P. (1995). Decomposition and crossover effects in the theory of planned behavior: A study of consumer adoption intentions. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 12, 137–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toda, M., Monden, K., Kubo, K., & Morimoto, K. (2004). Cellular phone dependence tendency of female university students. NipponEiseigakuZasshi (Japanese Journal of Hygiene), 59(4), 383–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trnkova, M., Nguyên, L., & Madeira, G. C. (2015). Mobile phone usage and the uneasiness based on the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) (Doctoral dissertation). School of Humanities, Tilburg University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, M., Love, S., & Howell, M. (2008). Understanding emotions experienced when using a mobile phone in public: The social usability of mobile (cellular) telephones. Telematics and Informatics, 25(3), 201–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughn, J. (2012). Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). New York: J. Walter Thompson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, S. P., White, K. M., Cox, S., & Young, R. M. (2011). Keeping in constant touch: The predictors of young Australians’ mobile phone involvement. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(1), 333–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, Z. (Ed.). (2015). Encyclopedia of mobile phone behavior. USA: IGI Global.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaslove, M. (2015, September 17). What is the psychology behind FOMO? Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-psychology-behind-FOMO.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ananya Upreti .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Upreti, A., Musalay, P. (2018). Fear of Missing Out, Mobile Phone Dependency and Entrapment in Undergraduate Students. In: Leung, MT., Tan, LM. (eds) Applied Psychology Readings. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8034-0_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics