THE INFLUENCE OF FEAR OF MISSING OUT (FOMO) ON DECISION-MAKING AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is associated with apprehension that other people may be participating in or enjoying activities from which one individual is absent, hence triggering a desire to be a part of that activity as well. This paper examines how FoMO is experienced in relation to the decision-making of university students in academic, social, and financial domains of life. Using a qualitative, exploratory research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight university students from Delhi, India, who were personally approached and voluntarily participated. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the participants' responses. The findings indicated peer influence in the decision-making of 7 of the 8 participants, social media as a trigger or context of FoMO across the reported interviews, academic/career influence among 4 participants, financial influence among 5 participants, and regret associated with FoMO-related decisions among 3 participants. The transcript evidence also includes a clear account of self-regulation in which a participant described learning to prioritise personal needs over the fear of missing out. The findings suggest that FoMO may be experienced alongside peer influence and social-media exposure, while its reported relevance varies across students and decision domains. Because the sample was small and recruited through a personal approach, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory rather than generalisable. Keywords: Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), decision-making, university students, social media, qualitative research, thematic analysis, peer influence.