The Effect of FOMO: In Relation to Involvement and Technology Usage: An Abstract

Abstract

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is defined as “a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent” (Przybylski et al., 2013, p. 1841). Zhang, Jimenez, and Cicala (2020) suggest that FOMO is actually an emotional reaction to one’s perceived psychological threat to one’s self-concept. It is reported that individuals with “High FOMO” are likely to exhibit higher usage of social media (Przybylski et al., 2013). Messaging that fosters a fear of missing out is considered an important sport marketing communications tool (Larkin & Fink, 2016). This study intends to explore the effect of FOMO in promoting sports events, in relation to involvement and the use of Internet technology (e.g., social media). This research project is a result of a multi-year FOMO study on a sports marketing effort in the southeastern US to increase attendance at a local ESPN College Basketball Tournament.

In Study 1, we hypothesized that all three interest measures (interest in learning about the event, in attending the event, and in inviting friends to the event) are higher among participants in the high-FOMO condition that included the “Don’t Miss Out” message. It was also hypothesized that consumer involvement is a significant moderator of this effect. Lastly, it was hypothesized that interest is positively correlated with technology use. The results showed a significant interaction between gender and involvement for the dependent variable of interest in learning more about the event and substantially lower levels of interest in attending among female, light social media users that received the “Don’t Miss Out” message compared to other females.

In Study 2, we hypothesized that interest and attendance intentions will be higher among subjects in the high-FOMO condition. It was also hypothesized that individual FOMO levels will moderate the relationship between appeal type (i.e., loss-framed or not) and interest/attendance intentions. Lastly, we hypothesized that basketball involvement will moderate the relationship between appeal type and interest/attendance intentions.

The preliminary results of this study have provided insights into the FOMO appeal in the age of technology (Internet and social media) for marketing managers as well as marketing researchers. The Don’t Miss Out message might not have the intended effect, as the preliminary results of this study suggest. As Filo, Lock, and Karg (2015) pointed out, there is a profound impact of social media usage on sports management due to its importance in cultivating relationships. Individual’s technology and social media usage as social behavior may be a signal of the individual’s need (or lack thereof) to be part of a group attending a sports event and thus affect FOMO’s promotional effectiveness.