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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06793-w
with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for
what he has not.”
― Seneca
Introduction
Humans possess an inherent social nature characterized by
their inclination for connection and a sense of belonging
(Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Littman-Ovadia, 2019). Yet
modern life, with its endless social comparisons facilitated
by social media, has left many people feeling perpetually
behind and excluded from desired experiences (Vogel et
al., 2014). This phenomenon, known as the Fear of Miss-
ing Out (FoMO) and characterized by the unease that others
are enjoying more fullling experiences (Przybylski et al.,
2013), has become popular in the 21st century (Wang et al.,
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anx-
ious dependence upon the future, not to amuse our-
selves with either hopes or fears but to rest satised
with what we have, which is sucient, for he that is so
wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are
within us and within our reach. A wise man is content
Hadassah Littman-Ovadia and Pninit Russo-Netzer contributed
equally to this work
Hadassah Littman-Ovadia
hadassaho@ariel.ac.il
Pninit Russo-Netzer
pninit.russonetzer@gmail.com
1 Department of Psychology, Ariel University, Ariel
40,700, Israel
2 Faculty of Education and Leadership, Achva Academic
College, Arugot, Israel
Abstract
The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) phenomenon has become increasingly prevalent in the 21st century, fueled by the rise
of social media. FoMO, characterized by the apprehension that others may be having more rewarding experiences and a
desire to stay continually connected, has signicant implications for mental health, particularly among emerging adults.
This qualitative study aims to explore the subjective lived experiences of FoMO and the coping strategies employed by
emerging adults. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, and thematic analysis was used to interpret the data.
The ndings revealed that participants experienced FoMO as involving feelings of exclusion, disconnection, and inad-
equacy upon becoming aware of experiences peers were having. However, FoMO was also perceived as an important
signal of unmet needs, prompting reection on the misalignment between one’s actual life and desired life. FoMO was
amplied in contexts involving identity formation and pivotal life choices, such as social, professional (education/work/
career), and dating situations. Participants described various spontaneous coping strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal
and perspective-taking to reframe it constructively, emotional coping through self-soothing, and behavioral approaches
like temporarily disconnecting from social media. These self-initiated coping methods suggest a potential for developing
new interventions aimed at empowering emerging adults to manage the eects of FoMO on their well-being. While most
research emphasizes the connection between FoMO and technology, this study advances the understanding of FoMO by
highlighting its characteristics as an everyday experience in various life domains along with ways of coping during the
developmental period of emerging adulthood.
Keywords Fear of missing out · Emerging adulthood · Qualitative study
Accepted: 30 September 2024 / Published online: 14 October 2024
© The Author(s) 2024
Exploring the lived experience and coping strategies of Fear of Missing
Out (FoMO) among emerging adults
HadassahLittman-Ovadia1· PninitRusso-Netzer2
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
2023) due to its signicant impact on social and psychologi-
cal well-being.
FoMO is particularly signicant today due to the ubiq-
uity of smartphones and constant internet access, which
facilitate continuous social comparisons (Elhai et al., 2016).
Additionally, the cultural emphasis on individual achieve-
ment and social status heightens pressure to stay engaged
in rewarding experiences, often fueled by idealized portray-
als on social media (Vogel et al., 2014). A growing body of
literature has linked FoMO to reduced well-being and life
satisfaction (e.g., Baker et al., 2016), particularly among
emerging adults (typically aged between 19 and 30 years
old) who are particularly susceptible to FoMO and its reper-
cussions (Hunt et al., 2018: Rozgonjuk et al., 2021).
Emerging adulthood is a developmental stage charac-
terized by exploration and instability across various life
domains (Arnett, 2023). This period is marked by identity
exploration, frequent residence, education, employment
changes, and a sense of being between adolescence and
full adulthood. Since emerging adults actively shape their
personal and professional lives during this pivotal stage,
they are particularly sensitive to perceptions of missing out,
which can exacerbate FoMO (Hunt et al., 2018).
This study specically addresses the subjective, lived
experiences of FoMO in emerging adults, focusing on its
impact on various life domains and the personal strategies
they employ to navigate this contemporary challenge. By
exploring these aspects, this research lls critical gaps in
understanding how emerging adults experience and cope
with FoMO, oering insights that could inform future inter-
ventions to mitigate its negative eects.
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)
The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) has been scientically
dened as “a pervasive apprehension that others might be
having rewarding experiences from which one is absent …
characterized by the desire to stay continually connected
with what others are doing” (Przybylski et al., 2013, p.
1841). It includes “the fears, worries, and anxieties people
may have concerning being out of touch with events, expe-
riences, and conversations happening across their extended
social circles” (Przybylski et al., 2013, p. 1842). FoMO has
been recently redened as “the constant desire to follow the
exciting and glorious lives of others through the internet and
a state of constant anxiety about it” (Tanhan et al., 2022, p.
74). This denition underscores the connection of FoMO to
social media, a platform that has signicantly contributed
to its prevalence in recent years (Wolniewicz et al., 2018)
and its association with problematic smartphone use (Elhai
et al., 2016).
Nearly a decade before the term “FoMO” was scienti-
cally dened and investigated, an article was published in
the student newspaper of Harvard Business School. McGin-
nis (2004) distinguished between “FoMO” (Fear of Missing
Out) and “FoBO” (Fear of Better Options). McGinnis high-
lighted these as opposing forces leading to “FoDA” (Fear of
Doing Anything). Too much FoMO drives exhaustion from
an overly active social life, while too much FoBO leads to
loneliness from avoiding social connections. This imbal-
ance can result in paralysis, rendering individuals unable to
act or make decisions. Balancing FoMO and FoBO, accord-
ing to McGinnis, is crucial to avoid the trap of FoDA. How-
ever, the phenomenon that has attracted the most research
attention is that of FoMO.
Earlier research conducted by Przybylski et al. (2013)
indicated that FoMO is typically experienced more often
by younger individuals and by those who express lower
satisfaction with fundamental psychological needs such as
competence (ecacy), autonomy (meaningful choice), and
relatedness (connectedness to others). These researchers
identied FoMO as negatively correlated with the general
mood and overall life satisfaction and positively associated
with an increased usage of Facebook right after waking up,
before bedtime, and during meals. Furthermore, there is a
tendency among individuals experiencing FoMO to engage
in composing and checking text messages and emails while
operating motor vehicles (Przybylski et al., 2013). Subse-
quent studies have established a correlation between elevated
levels of FoMO to reduced life satisfaction and well-being.
Additionally, these studies have identied connections with
increased negative emotional states like stress, anxiety, and
depression (Baker et al., 2016), and partially explain these
detrimental FoMO outcomes by social comparison pro-
cesses, whereby one feels pressured to match experiences
portrayed by peers online (Fox & Moreland, 2015).
Research has also explored the impact of FoMO on work-
related outcomes. Due to its inuence on emotional exhaus-
tion, the emotional aspect of job burnout, FoMO has been
linked to decreased job performance (Fridchay & Reizer,
2022). Essentially, FoMO, characterized as a form of anxi-
ety, contributes to emotional exhaustion, reducing available
resources for eective job performance and meeting work
demands, thereby impairing overall job performance.
FoMO has been studied both as a state and as a trait.
Research on FoMO and personality traits found weak to
moderate positive correlations with depression and anxiety
facets of Neuroticism, and negative correlations with the
self-discipline facet of Conscientiousness (and not with the
order facet). It also showed small negative correlations with
all the facets of Extraversion, Openness to Experience, and
Agreeableness. Based on these ndings, the authors sug-
gest that there may be a high overlap between FoMO and
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
Neuroticism, yet FoMO seems to constitute a separate trait
(Rozgonjuk et al., 2021).
FoMO is predominantly linked to negative eects, such
as anxiety and dissatisfaction, but some research hints at
potential positive aspects. For instance, Przybylski et al.
(2013) discuss how FoMO can motivate individuals to stay
socially connected, which might lead to increased social
engagement. Although Beyens et al. (2016) primarily focus
on the stress associated with FoMO, their ndings sug-
gest that the desire to stay connected could also result in
higher social media engagement. Milyavskaya et al. (2018)
explored the prevalence, dynamics, and consequences of
FoMO, nding that it can drive college students to engage
more socially and work toward personal goals. However,
these potential positive aspects remain largely specula-
tive and have not been the primary focus of empirical test-
ing. Considering these perspectives oers a more nuanced
understanding of the complex eects of FoMO.
While numerous quantitative studies have examined
various aspects of FoMO, such as its impact on depression,
anxiety, loneliness, alcohol use, and life satisfaction, there
is almost no research exploring the subjective experience
of FoMO using qualitative methods. In a recent review
conducted by Godara et al. (2023), which analyzed the 50
most cited articles on FoMO published from 2013 to 2021,
it was found that all articles exclusively utilized quantitative
research designs. However, understanding the daily lived
experience of FoMO is crucial, particularly during emerg-
ing adulthood, which is considered the most vulnerable age
group for problematic smartphone use and FoMO (Shensa
et al., 2017).
FoMO and emerging adulthood
Individuals in the emerging adulthood phase are especially
vulnerable to the eects of FoMO due to the distinctive
nature of this developmental period, which is characterized
by signicant exploration and uctuation across multiple life
areas (Arnett, 2023). During this time, people are engaged
in the ongoing process of discovering their identities, navi-
gating instability, and focusing on themselves. They often
feel caught between adolescence and full-edged adult-
hood, with a heightened sense of limitless possibilities. This
stage frequently involves numerous transitions in living
arrangements, educational pursuits, career paths, and per-
sonal relationships (Arnett, 2023).
Emerging adulthood is when individuals explore various
life possibilities, particularly in love and work, and gradu-
ally arrive at more enduring choices. Being relatively free
from the routine demands of parenthood, emerging adults
tend to focus on their needs and desires. Many in this age
group report taking responsibility for themselves but do
not yet feel like adults. This is when many dierent futures
remain possible, and the scope for independent exploration
of life’s possibilities is greater than at any other period in the
life course (Arnett, 2023).
In this context, the theoretical framework of Self-Deter-
mination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000) is particularly
relevant. According to SDT, satisfying three innate psycho-
logical needs—competence, autonomy, and relatedness—is
essential for motivation and mental health. These needs are
especially salient during emerging adulthood as individuals
strive to establish independence, master their competence
in evolving roles, and form meaningful social connections
(Arnett, 2023). When these needs are thwarted, it can lead to
diminished motivation and well-being, which may intensify
the impact of FoMO. At the same time, Social Compari-
son Theory (Festinger, 1954) posits that individuals natu-
rally compare themselves to others regarding experiences,
connections, and achievements. Such comparisons can lead
to feelings of inadequacy and exclusion—core elements of
FoMO. This eect is particularly pronounced during emerg-
ing adulthood, a stage marked by identity exploration and
instability (Arnett, 2023). The heightened importance of the
psychological needs identied by SDT during this period
can amplify sensitivity to social comparisons, making
emerging adults more susceptible to experiencing FoMO
when they perceive others as more successful in achieving
important milestones.
Integrating these theoretical models provides a com-
prehensive framework for understanding why emerging
adults are particularly vulnerable to FoMO. For instance,
a study with a large, nationally representative sample of
young adults in the United States (aged 19–30) revealed
that approximately 44% of participants reported problem-
atic social media use, which was strongly associated with
depressive symptoms (Shensa et al., 2017). Since emerging
adults are actively shaping their personal and professional
lives during this pivotal stage, they are particularly sensitive
to perceptions of missing out (Hunt et al., 2018). In Arnett’s
(2007) words: “Most young people now spend the period
from their late teens to their mid-20s … trying out dierent
experiences and gradually making their way toward endur-
ing choices in love and work” (p. 68).
Although individuals in this stage of life have these
unique experiences and challenges to face, there is limited
knowledge regarding how emerging adults tangibly experi-
ence the distress associated with FoMO in their daily life
situations. Therefore, the primary aim of the present study is
to explore the subjective experience of FoMO by emerging
adults and its impact across dierent life domains.
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
Aims and research questions
This study explores the subjective experiences of FoMO
among emerging adults, focusing on how these experiences
inuence their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors across
various life domains. Additionally, the study seeks to inves-
tigate the coping strategies and resources that emerging
adults utilize to manage FoMO in their daily lives.
Method
This study is embedded in the qualitative-phenomeno-
logical tradition, which aims to reach the core of mean-
ing and essence of the lived experience of FoMO for the
experiencer, the participant. The phenomenological method
adopts a broad and open approach to the meaning of phe-
nomena in the everyday world and enables the researcher
to explore how the participants experience, live, and artic-
ulate their experience from their point-of-view, through
their own ‘voices.’ In the context of the present study, this
method emphasizes the importance of subjective interpre-
tations and the unique perspectives of individuals, making
it particularly relevant to the study of FoMO – a highly
personal and subjective experience. Conducting in-depth
interviews, a key method in phenomenological research,
can help identify common themes related to FoMO among
emerging adults, and gain insights into their experiences,
emotions, and thoughts regarding FoMO. The open-ended
nature of the interviews allows participants to reect on
their specic triggers, contexts and consequences of their
experience of FoMO. This aligns with the phenomenologi-
cal focus of capturing the essence of lived experiences, as
it provides participants the freedom to describe their FoMO
experiences in their own words, highlighting aspects that
are most meaningful to them. Furthermore, the qualitative-
phenomenological approach is particularly relevant to the
study of FoMO because it acknowledges the complexity
and context-dependency of human experiences. As such, it
allows researchers to explore the ‘what’ of FoMO (its mani-
festations), but also the ‘how’ and ‘why’ (the processes and
meanings behind it), providing a richer and more holistic
understanding of the phenomenon.
Participants
The participants were recruited through multiple methods
to reect as broad and diverse a perspective of the phenom-
enon as possible. Recruitment strategies included online
platforms such as social media as well as direct engage-
ment by research assistants in various locations in the com-
munity, such as academic institutions. Additionally, the
Coping with FoMO
Several studies have explored interventions aimed at miti-
gating the maladaptive impacts of FoMO, often through
methods of limiting social media usage. For example,
reducing social media usage has resulted in decreases in
FoMO-related loneliness and depression (Hunt et al., 2018).
Another study conducted a seven-day social media absti-
nence trial, investiging the impact of abstaining from social
media on participants’ experiences of FoMO and their over-
all mental well-being. Participants experienced a signicant
decrease in FoMO and smartphone use and a signicant
increase in mental well-being and social connectedness
after seven days of social media abstinence. A signicant
negative relationship was found between changes in social
connectedness and FoMO, suggesting that as social con-
nectedness increased, FoMO decreased (Brown & Kuss,
2020).
Along the same lines, Alutaybi et al. (2020) developed
a FoMO Reduction (FoMO-R) approach that embraces
technical elements such as autoreply and ltering, as well
as providing education on how FoMO occurs, and skills on
how to deal with it such as self-talk and checklists. They
evaluated the method through focus groups and a diary
study involving 30 participants who self-reported experi-
encing FoMO regularly. The results show that the method
was accepted by the participants and helped them to man-
age their FoMO. Moreover, the ndings suggest that addi-
tional functionalities in social media design are necessary to
enable users to eectively manage FoMO. This study also
sought to compare participants’ FoMO after seven days of
normal social media use with their FoMO after seven days
of social media abstinence. Interestingly, no signicant rela-
tionship was found between baseline social media use and
FoMO. However, a signicant decrease (a medium-sized
eect) in FoMO and a signicant increase in mental well-
being were revealed after social media abstinence. There-
fore, it is important to reduce FoMO for the sake of mental
health, and it is benecial to explore additional methods for
its reduction.
While these interventions provide insights into manag-
ing FoMO, they primarily focus on preventive measures,
aiming to protect individuals from the causes of FoMO.
The spontaneous regulation of daily FoMO experiences by
emerging adults remains unexplored. Therefore, the second
aim of this study is to delve into this uncharted territory of
self-initiated coping strategies that young adults adopt and
use in their daily lives.
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
participants’ experience of FOMO in their everyday lives,
including related thoughts and emotions, as well as per-
ceived challenges and coping methods identied by them.
This approach aimed to elicit rich qualitative data about
the participants’ perspectives and experiences. The over-
all structure of the interviews followed a general pattern:
Background questions to establish rapport and context,
open-ended invitation for participants to describe their life
experiences freely, specic questions about FoMO expe-
riences, probing questions to encourage elaboration and
clarication, and concluding open question to capture any
additional thoughts. Each interview began with background
questions, followed by an open-ended invitation for partici-
pants to speak freely about how they experience life at this
stage, in their own words. The types of questions included
in the interview protocol include descriptive questions (e.g.,
“How do you usually spend your time during a given day or
week?“, “In which activities do you choose to invest your
time and why?“), meaning-oriented questions (e.g., “What
does FoMO mean to you?“), and experience-based ques-
tions (e.g., “How would you describe this experience?“).
They were also asked follow-up questions to encourage
elaboration, clarify meanings, refer to unexplored issues
and provide more details and examples, to gain an in-depth
understanding of their subjective experiences (van Manen,
1990), such as: “You mentioned ‘X’, can you tell me more
about that?“, “What was that like for you?, or “Can you give
an example?” (Giorgi & Giorgi, 2003). Other types of ques-
tions were reective questions, such as “What helps you
cope with what you just mentioned?“, or “Can you describe
that experience/incident in more detail?” (van Manen,
1990). The interview concluded with an open question: “Is
there anything else important that we haven’t covered and
you’d like to share?” In some cases, this facilitated further
examples and clarication. All interviews were conducted
in the participants’ chosen locations at their convenience,
providing a comfortable setting (Creswell, 2007) where
they could freely and spontaneously tell their stories in their
way, pace and words. This approach helped explore the
nuances of FoMO in several ways: The open-ended nature
of questions allowed participants to express their experi-
ences in their own words, capturing subjective meanings
and interpretations. The semi-structured format provided
consistency across interviews while allowing exibility to
pursue unique aspects of each participant’s experience. The
variety of question types (descriptive, reective, experi-
ence-based) helped capture dierent dimensions of FoMO
experiences, while the follow-up probing questions enabled
deeper exploration of specic FoMO incidents, emotions,
and coping strategies. Overall, by using this approach, we
were able to gather comprehensive data on participants’
snowball technique was utilized, where one participant
recommended potential interviewees (Babbie, 1995). The
broad and open invitation read, “For a study focusing on
the phenomenon of FoMO we seek participants interested
in sharing their insights in a 1-1.5-hour interview.” Those
expressing interest were contacted by phone, briefed on
the study, and assured of condentiality and anonymity.
Adhering to the saturation principle, customary in qualita-
tive studies, the sample size for this study was determined.
Data collection and analysis continued until no new themes
emerged (Padgett, 1998). The sample included 29 partici-
pants, between the ages 20–30 (M = 24.4, Sd = 2.6). The par-
ticipants were all Israeli Jews, 12 males and 17 females. The
majority of the participants were single (93%), and the rest
were married. Most of the participants dened themselves
as secular (75.8%), and the rest as religious (see Appendix
Table 2 for a detailed demographic table).
Procedure
The study received ethical approval from the IRB of the
academic institution of one of the co-authors (Approval no.
0161). In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted
face-to-face with each participant, lasting from one to one-
and-a-half hours. The interviews were audio recorded and
transcribed verbatim. Before the interview, participants
signed an informed consent form specifying the research
purpose, procedures, voluntary participation, right to with-
draw at any time, and condentiality. Given the voluntary
nature of the study and the self-selection process, all indi-
viduals who expressed interest and subsequently completed
the informed consent followed through with their participa-
tion in the interviews. This high participation rate can be
attributed to the fact that participants self-selected based on
their interest in discussing FoMO, their willingness to share
their experiences, and their availability for the interview
time commitment. We did not experience any instances of
individuals completing the informed consent but not attend-
ing the interview. The interviews were conducted by a team
of ve research assistants who were professionally trained
in semi-structured interview techniques using Spradley’s
(1979) methods. The assistants received feedback on pilot
interviews from the authors. The duration of the study was
approximately eight months: the data collection stage lasted
from March 2023 to the end of June 2023, and the data anal-
ysis stage lasted from July 2023 to the end of November
2023.
The open-ended in-depth semi-structured interview pro-
tocol was designed to thoroughly explore the nuances of
FoMO among participants, maintaining a balance between
consistency across participants and exibility to delve into
individual experiences. It covered several main topics:
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
understanding of the participants’ experiences of FoMO.
Any discrepancies throughout the process were resolved
through collaborative discussion, re-examination of the
data, and mutual agreement on the most appropriate catego-
rization. Such a cyclic process was also undertaken when
the meanings that emerged from analyzing the data entailed
returning to previous steps and the interviews to verify and
re-examine emerging interpretations.
Trustworthiness of the study
We employed Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) guidelines to
ensure the trustworthiness of qualitative research, focus-
ing on transferability, dependability, credibility, and con-
rmability. This was done by providing rich descriptions
of the participants’ experiences through interview excerpts
and detailed documentation of reections and interpreta-
tions (van Manen, 1990). We also maintained an ongoing
process of critical discussion and interpretation of the data,
conducted independent analyses of the interviews, held col-
laborative meetings to address and resolve discrepancies,
reviewed the analyses conducted by the research team, and
introduced new subthemes to facilitate the triangulation of
interpretations (Creswell & Miller, 2000).
Findings
The data analysis revealed three overarching broad themes:
(1) the experience of FoMO; (2) the life domains of the
experience of FoMO; and (3) the strategies employed by
the participants to cope with it (see Table 1). These themes
will be presented along with illustrations derived from the
participants’ interviews. To safeguard participant identi-
ties, names have been excluded, while ages and gender are
represented.
(1) The subjective experience of FoMO
The rst theme refers to the experience of FoMO,
encompassing four sub-themes: (a) the characteristics
of FoMO, experienced by the participants as involving
a sense of exclusion and disconnection, constant com-
parisons and pressure, and feeling of inadequacy; (b)
These experiences were accompanied by both physical
and emotional manifestations, including negative emo-
tions (sadness, anxiety, loneliness), physical symptoms
(sleep issues, chest pain), and feelings of frustration
and disappointment; (c) The participants also described
tensions and inner conicts, such as impulsivity vs.
rational decision-making, desire to be present vs. fear
of missing out; (d) As part of such inner tensions, they
FoMO experiences, including their thoughts, emotions, per-
ceived challenges, and coping methods.
Data analysis
The process of data analysis was spiral and circular, engag-
ing both within-case analyses of each account as a stand-
alone entity and cross-case comparisons to identify common
experiences (Straus & Corbin, 1990) synergistically (Ayres
et al., 2003). The research team (other than the ve research
assistants who conducted the interviews) included the rst
two authors. Both are highly experienced and trained in
qualitative research methods, particularly in qualitative-
phenomenological approaches and have published multiple
academic papers employing these methods, often involving
large sample sizes. The process of data analysis unfolded
in stages, following a constant comparative methodology
(Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Speci-
cally, the process of data analysis can be summarized as fol-
lows: First, an exploratory stage of data analysis began with
a review of the transcribed data. Interviews were read inde-
pendently as a whole by each of the researchers. This pro-
cess enabled us to gain an overall and profound impression
of the participants’ experiences until a sense of immersion
had been obtained and the “naïve description” of the par-
ticipants began to emerge (Giorgi, 2009; Giorgi & Giorgi,
2003). Second, the researchers independently identied
“meaning units” (Malterud, 2001) as expressed by the par-
ticipants, using an “open coding” process (Strauss & Corbin,
1990). Such line-by-line coding (Charmaz, 2006) enabled
the development of a textural description of the experiences
of the participants (a description of what they experienced),
a structural description (how they experienced it in terms of
the context, conditions or settings), and a combination of
the textural and structural descriptions to convey an overall
essence of the experience (Creswell, 2007). These separate
core units of meaning (Strauss, 1987) – words, descriptions,
phrases and expressions – highlighted the participants’
experiences concerning the explored phenomena (Whit-
ing, 2002). They were used to create descriptive catego-
ries of basic themes, forming an initial exible framework
for further analysis. Third, the authors re-examined and
compared the various categories and basic themes identi-
ed through the process of open coding, searching for pos-
sible connections across individual meaning expressions as
well as between participants. During this stage, the authors
gathered and organized the various general and distinctive
themes identied within individual interviews and across
multiple interviews into clusters addressing similar issues.
Finally, an attempt was made to tie together the essential
themes (Giorgi, 1975), and move from a descriptive view
of the data to a congregated “bigger picture” with a new
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
I feel like I’m living in a world that constantly shows
me what I don’t have and what I’m missing. What I
still need to achieve… In terms of how success is por-
trayed, what success looks like… whether it’s being in
a relationship by a certain age or working at a certain
job and earning a certain salary or ying several times
a year for vacation or looking a certain way… Ulti-
mately, the feeling is often that you’re not enough, that
you could be much happier and could be much better,
and maybe have a better job and a better profession,
a better relationship and it never ends [Female, 26].
This participant articulates a pervasive sense of inad-
equacy fueled by cultural representations of success
and societal expectations. The reference to specic
milestones, such as being in a relationship by a cer-
tain age, having a particular job, or maintaining a
certain lifestyle, illustrates how these societal ideals
shape personal goals and aspirations. The exposure
to cultural representations of what ‘life should look
like’ evokes the feeling of missed opportunities and
a sense of constant pursuit and comparisons. This
sense of inadequacy can lead to self-blame and frus-
tration, as this participant described:
For me it’s thinking that someone else is in a better
situation or framework than me. That someone else
is doing something more fun and meaningful. For
example, it can happen when another team gets a bet-
ter activity than mine at work - I’d want to be part of
it but I’m not … feeling like I’m not good enough.
[Male, 23]
This sense of lagging behind peers may be perceived
as missed opportunities and unrealized potential.
The age-related aspect of this comparison adds
another layer of pressure, as societal norms often
dictate specic achievements by certain life stages,
as can be seen in this excerpt:
I always feel like I haven’t done enough… I expected
to be at point X or at a “wow” point, or to be in more
places in the world, or to be in a relationship… I’m
terried of aging and not achieving… it scares me…
I see everyone around me establishing relationships,
building homes, and such, and I want to have some-
thing too… it feels like there are so many things miss-
ing in my life at this age. [Male, 28]
also referred to the ‘bright side’ of FoMO, viewing it as
a guide for personal preferences and an opener to new
opportunities.
(a) The characteristics of FoMO
The shared experience of FOMO recounted by the
participants referred to a sense of exclusion from
an experience that others are having. Many of them
described a sense of feeling left out or disconnected
when hearing, or seeing social media posts, about
experiences or events that were not a part of, as can
be seen in this example:
When you think mostly about things like where is
everyone, why am I here, why am I not somewhere
else… when you are not exactly present at the moment
but thinking of a better moment that you could be in.
[Male, 24]
Some participants explicitly referred to the context
in which the sense of FoMO is expressed and ampli-
ed, as deeply intertwined with the cultural and
social context, reecting broader societal pressures
and the pervasive inuence of social norms on indi-
vidual self-perception, for example:
Table 1 Key ndings: Overarching broad themes and corresponding
sub-themes
Themes Sub-themes
(1) The experience of
FoMO
(a) The characteristics of FoMO
(b) The accompanying physical and
emotional manifestations of FoMO
(c) Potential tensions and inner conicts
(d) The 'bright' side of FoMO
(2) The life domains of
the experience of FoMO
(a) Social domain
(b) Educational and Occupational
domains
(c) Romantic domain
(3) The strategies
employed by the partici-
pants to cope with it
(a) Self-soothing techniques and
armations
(b) Underestimating the value and sig-
nicance of the missed event
(c) Realizing the misuse and façade of
social media
(d) Autonomy and self-reliance rather
than pleasing others
(e) Perspective and mindfulness
(f) Prioritizing personal goals and values
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
disturbances and somatic symptoms, as described
by another participant:
The pressure to somehow manage and accomplish it
all aects me so I can’t sleep well, I’ll wake up early
or have trouble falling asleep… I might also feel anx-
ious, a bit of chest pain, discomfort, like a kind of
tightening feeling, that it’s hard to breathe [Male, 27].
Some participants explicitly referred to the connec-
tion between the emotional expression of FoMO
and the physical sensations:
I feel the pressure in my body. Like, I must have this
now. I can’t lose it, something will happen if I miss
it. And I feel this physically in my body. It makes me
close up within myself… as if you feel a trembling in
your body and you want to run fast to discharge the
physical sensation of pressure in the body. The overall
feeling is frustration and disappointment. [Male, 24]
The participant’s urge to “run fast to discharge the
physical sensation” reects the attempt to manage
the overwhelming pressure and tension that FoMO
induces. Overall, the recurring themes of frustration
and disappointment underscore the exhausting and
debilitating nature of this experience, which leaves
individuals feeling both emotionally and physically
drained.
(c) Potential tensions and inner conicts
When describing their experience of FoMO, par-
ticipants often highlighted the inherent tensions,
contrasts, and contradictions embedded in the expe-
rience. These inner conicts reveal the complex
psychological landscape in which FoMO operates,
as individuals navigate between impulsive desires
and rational decision-making. For example, one
participant reected on FoMO as a contrast between
the impulsivity of the “ego” and the more measured
approach of rational planning:
It [FoMO] feels like an instinctive emotion… like you
must have it now. But in the end, even in this moment,
are you missing something? When I think back on it,
it conicts with the clarity of planning something bet-
ter, on really thinking through about what matters. But
FoMO drives you to think illogically sometimes, to let
your ego lead the way. [Male, 23]
Such emotions often arise when there is a lack of
formal framework, as can be seen in this excerpt
where the interviewee describes a pressing need to
be active and to live life to the fullest:
During semester break, when I don’t have anything
occupying me, there isn’t some kind of framework,
this is when FoMO attacks you, like, what am I doing
with my life? It’s like I’m not doing anything.… then I
feel the pressure to fully exhaust life, to do as much …
activity as possible, to be able to tell myself… I’m not
just sitting at home watching TV. [Female, 25]
The participants’ compulsion to “chase after experi-
ences”, despite a personal desire for rest, illustrates
the internal conict between personal needs and
the pressure to conform to social expectations at
the expense of their well-being. They suggest that
FoMO is a deep-seated psychological response to
living in a society that constantly highlights what
one lacks or has yet to achieve, manifested both
oine and online.
(b) The accompanying physical and emotional mani-
festations of FoMO
The participants unanimously described the pro-
found physical and emotional eects of experienc-
ing FoMO, highlighting its pervasive impact on their
well-being. Many participants reported feelings of
meaninglessness or inadequacy, often driven by the
perception that others are leading more fullling or
exciting lives. This perception of a persistent gap
between their current reality and their aspirations
appears to fuel negative emotions such as sadness,
anxiety, and a lack of motivation. For instance, one
participant expressed:
I fear that I won’t have time to do what I want… I’m
not where I want to be… there’s a gap between what’s
desirable and what exists… I mainly experience this
with negative feelings - a bit of sadness, and lack of
motivation. [Female, 24]
This reects the emotional toll that FoMO takes,
particularly through the lens of unmet expectations,
contributing to a cycle of negative emotions that can
be dicult to break.
Beyond emotional distress, the experience of FoMO
also manifests in physical symptoms, such as sleep
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
and physical well-being, some participants also
identied its potential benets. These benets
emerge from FoMO’s role as an indicator of per-
sonal desires and a guide for making clearer, more
informed choices. One participant, for example,
reected on how FoMO could be seen as a valuable
tool:
I think that FoMO can also be helpful and valuable.
It’s like getting assistance from FoMO itself, as a tan-
gible sensation. I mean, if there’s something I’m afraid
to miss, then it means that maybe there is something
there to be learned, that the situation right now is not
good. And if I nd myself in a situation where I am
fully absorbed that I’m not thinking of anything else,
then it means that what I’m doing now is probably
good for me […] to feel that there is somewhere bet-
ter for me, it could be a sign. I see that in dating… it
could be that what I’m doing now, the person I am
with, may not necessarily be the right idea for me
if FoMO arises, maybe something needs to change.
FoMO is inevitable, but perhaps it’s good that it’s not
avoidable. It can be an indicator for our true desire in
life. It can point out to something which is more accu-
rate and right for me, despite it being also frustrating.
]male, 27]
This perspective positions FoMO as a barometer
for personal satisfaction and alignment with one’s
values. The participant suggests that the discom-
fort associated with FoMO might indicate a deeper
need for change. For instance, in the context of dat-
ing, he implies that the emergence of FoMO could
signal dissatisfaction with the current relationship,
prompting a reassessment of whether it aligns with
their true desires. Similarly, another participant
viewed FoMO as a “guiding compass” for identify-
ing personal preferences:
Every opportunity that is emotionally important to
me, that my heart desires, will feel like FoMO, a
sense of missing out. I think that although it’s not a
comfortable feeling, it can also tell us something. It’s
like a tool that teaches us something about ourselves.
[Female, 26]
This reection suggests that FoMO, despite its dis-
comfort, serves as an internal signal pointing toward
what genuinely matters to an individual. The par-
ticipant sees it as an opportunity for self-exploration
This quote highlights the dichotomy between the
immediate, emotionally charged response driven
by FoMO and the more deliberate, logical thought
process that comes with planning and prioritization.
The participant’s use of terms like “instinctive” and
“ego” suggests that FoMO taps into primal, almost
reexive urges, pushing individuals toward imme-
diate gratication. However, this impulsive drive
often stands in stark contrast to the more rational
part of the self that seeks to plan and make decisions
aligned with long-term goals and values. The inter-
nal struggle between these opposing forces under-
scores the diculty individuals face in balancing
their immediate desires with their broader aspira-
tions. Another participant described a similar inter-
nal conict, emphasizing the simultaneous presence
of contradicting experiences:
I’m there, at the party, feeling the pull between two
directions… the impulse to be there with everyone,
but also knowing that staying there doesn’t serve my
purposes… Because if I’m at a social event and tired
and need to sleep before a busy day tomorrow, then
that strong impulse just to stay there ‘not to miss out’,
is preventing me from both enjoying and sleeping…,
and I know I need to overcome this weakness, this
emotion, and decide what to do to align with my goals.
[Female, 24]
The “pull between two directions” reects the cog-
nitive dissonance that arises when immediate social
gratication conicts with long-term well-being.
The participant’s struggle to “overcome this weak-
ness” indicates a recognition of FoMO as a disrup-
tive force, one that can lead to decisions that may
not align with their broader goals. These accounts
reveal that FoMO is not merely a straightforward
fear of missing out but a multifaceted psychological
experience marked by internal contradictions and
tensions. Overall, the participants described need
to constantly balance their emotional impulses with
their rational judgments while navigating the com-
plexities of modern life, where opportunities and
choices are abundant, yet the pressure to make the
“right” decision is ever-present.
(d) The ‘bright’ side of FoMO
While the experience of FoMO is predominantly
described as having negative impacts on emotional
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(a) Social domain
The participants frequently described the tension
between the need to belong and the pressures aris-
ing from social media exposure, which often exac-
erbates their experience of FoMO. This tension is
particularly evident when individuals compare their
own situations to the curated, often idealized por-
trayals of others’ lives on social media. One par-
ticipant recounted how social media exacerbated
feelings of exclusion:
Not long ago, my friends went to a party, and I was
working. Honestly, I felt really, really bummed that
I didn’t go with them because I saw that they were
really enjoying themselves. In their Instagram ‘sto-
ries’, I saw pictures and videos, and I was really upset
that I wasn’t there, mainly because I saw that they
were really having a good time. [Male, 21]
This excerpt illustrates how the visibility of oth-
ers’ social activities can intensify feelings of isola-
tion and inadequacy, highlighting how social media
can amplify a sense of missing out by providing a
constant reminder of what one is not experiencing.
Participants also reported diculties in decision-
making and being fully present due to the pressure
of social comparisons. One described the challenge
of balancing multiple social events:
When my friends meet, and I made plans with other
friends, I start thinking, ‘what am I going to do now?
Should I go to both? Should I be here for a bit and then
there for a bit?’ And then I realize that I’m not decid-
ing, and at the last moment, I make a decision, and
then I end up missing a bit of everything because I’m
never a 100% in one place… In today’s world, where
you’re always searching for what’s better and more
enjoyable, and you don’t really know what’s truly bet-
ter and more fun, you’re like always thinking about
what could be in the second place that you didn’t go
to, and then you’re kind of not a 100% at the moment.
[Female, 24]
This excerpt reects the cognitive overload asso-
ciated with FoMO, where the constant search for
the “better” or “more enjoyable” experience leads
to indecision and a lack of fulllment. The partici-
pant’s experience of being “never a 100% in one
place” reveals the paradox of FoMO: the more one
and internal work, where the experience of FoMO
prompts a deeper understanding of one’s values and
priorities, helping individuals rene their choices
and align them more closely with their true desires.
Another participant highlighted the role of FoMO in
opening new opportunities, particularly when one is
willing to step outside their comfort zone:
You never know before making a choice if it’s the
right one or not, but if you’re willing to try, you may
discover new things. Sometimes I do things because
I don’t want to miss out and I say, ‘Wow, too bad I
did them, I should have stayed at home, I’ve stretched
myself too much’, but other times it can be like ‘Wow,
I had no idea that this amazing thing happened, and I
experienced it because I came’, and that’s the beauty
of life in my opinion, to do something even if you’re
not entirely sure you’re doing the right thing, and
sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s not bad…
Sometimes you can go somewhere and say, ‘Why
did I come here, it was for nothing, I could have been
somewhere else’, but suddenly the evening unfolds,
and it’s really fun in an unexpected way. These are the
surprises in life; you don’t always do things you’re so
sure you want to be there, and things happen. [Male,
24]
This perspective emphasizes the potential rewards
of embracing uncertainty. The participant acknowl-
edges that while FoMO can sometimes lead to
less favorable outcomes, it also has the potential
to unlock unexpected joys and experiences. Over-
all, this dual nature of FoMO—both as a source of
anxiety and as a gateway to new experiences that
might have otherwise missed —underscores its
complexity.
(2) The life domains of the experience of FoMO
The second theme refers to three main life domains in
which FoMO is experienced by the participants: (a)
Social Domain, involving the need to belong vs. social
pressures, diculty in decision-making and being pres-
ent, and the impact of social media exposure; (b) Educa-
tional and Occupational Domain, referring to missing
career opportunities, feeling “out of the loop”, and the
need to balance studies with other life domains; and
(c) Romantic Domain, referring to pressure in dating
situations, fear of commitment due to potential better
options, and social inuence on romantic expectations.
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my freedom if you can say that. Like, if I want to travel
spontaneously right now, I can’t. I don’t have leisure
time, because I need to invest time in my studies to
get ahead. It’s a competitive world out there. And I
miss out on other things, on living, because everything
revolves around studies. [Female, 25]
This excerpt reects how intense focus on aca-
demic responsibilities can limit personal freedom
and enjoyment of other life experiences. The par-
ticipant’s sense of being conned by their academic
schedule and the resulting impact on their ability to
engage in spontaneous activities or leisure further
illustrates how FoMO aects their overall quality
of life. Overall, the sense of missing out on career
opportunities and personal enjoyment highlights the
broader implications of FoMO, which can aect
not only social engagement but also professional
development and personal fulllment. Participants’
experiences of FoMO in their occupational and edu-
cational domains underscore the tension between
pursuing professional goals and maintaining a bal-
anced, satisfying life.
(c) Romantic domain
The romantic domain emerged as another signi-
cant area where participants experienced FoMO,
driven by the pressures of comparison and the fear
of missing out on ideal relationships. For example,
one participant described the diculty of commit-
ting to a partner due to a persistent sense of missing
out:
It’s something I mainly feel in dating situations and
romantic situations… I always feel like maybe there’s
something better. It’s very, very hard for me to think
about committing to someone… I always feel like
maybe there’s something slightly better around the
corner, and maybe I can nd something better, and
it does create some fear of missing out all the time,
every moment that I’m not going out or not talking to
someone, and I’m mostly not going out and not talk-
ing to someone, I feel like there is something wrong
with me [Male, 29].
This excerpt highlights how the constant compari-
son between potential partners and the idealized
version of romance can hinder commitment. The
participant’s fear that something better might be just
tries to experience everything, the less satisfac-
tion one derives from any single event. Overall,
the participants emphasize how the need to belong,
combined with the pressures from social media,
signicantly impacts their well-being. The constant
comparison to others’ seemingly perfect lives in
social media acts as both a mirror reecting others’
experiences and a magnier of one’s own perceived
inadequacies.
(b) Educational and Occupational domains
Another dominant life domain highlighted by the
interviewees was the educational and occupational
domain, encompassing both their studies and future
career planning. The sense of missing out on oppor-
tunities was described by some participants as
‘being out of the loop’ or ‘not part of the game’, for
example:
My friends already completed their degrees and
entered the job market. During that time, the job mar-
ket was much friendlier and receptive. After nishing
my studies in four years, I wanted a break and wasn’t
really eager to actively search for a job. Now I nd
myself in a situation where the job market is not as
favorable for juniors, and there are protests, strikes,
and ination. I feel that I’ll be missing out on opportu-
nities… I feel that I’m not a part of the game. [Female,
26]
This account highlights how external circumstances,
such as a shifting job market and economic instabil-
ity, contribute to feelings of exclusion and missed
opportunities. The participant’s comparison to peers
who entered the job market earlier emphasizes the
role of timing and market conditions in shaping
one’s career trajectory and the resulting sense of
FoMO. Participants also reported a sense of depri-
vation related to their studies and the balancing of
other life domains. One expressed dissatisfaction
with their current educational experience:
They say that being a student is the best period in life,
the most enjoyable, but I don’t feel it. I don’t expe-
rience it that way. I study from Sunday to Thursday
from 8:00 to 16:00, sometimes even from 8:00 to
18:00, and my whole life revolves around it. I wish I
could dedicate more time to other things in life, not so
preoccupied with what to do next, where to go next,
what I should do…I feel that my studies are limiting
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(3) Coping strategies with FoMO
The third theme refers to the strategies the participants
reported on as enabling them to face and cope with the
experience of FoMO: (a) Self-soothing Techniques and
Armations, involving positive self-talk and mantras,
and acceptance and letting go of control; (b) Under-
estimating the value of missed events, viewing events
as temporary or insignicant, and rationalizing missed
opportunities; (c) Realizing the Misuse of Social Media,
understanding the gap between social media and reality,
and disconnecting from social media platforms; (d) Cul-
tivating Autonomy and Self-reliance, by making choices
based on personal beliefs, and developing personal inde-
pendence; (e) Adopting Perspective and Mindfulness,
involving practicing presence and broader perspective,
and grounding and embodiment techniques; (f) Priori-
tizing Personal Goals and Values, involving focusing
on personal goals to buer FoMO eects, and clarifying
personal values through self-reection and writing.
(a) Self-soothing techniques and armations
Participants described employing various self-
soothing techniques and armations to cope with
FoMO, reecting a deliberate eort to shift their
focus from external comparisons and missed oppor-
tunities to fostering a more positive and present-
centered mindset. For example, one participant
shared her use of positive armations and mantras:
Saying all kinds of positive mantras to myself, that
everything’s alright and everything happens in its own
time and I have my own path and it’s not for nothing
that I experience what I experience because everyone
has their own way in life and what they need to learn…
I also use positive thinking meditations to calm down
a bit. Literally standing in front of the mirror saying to
myself, ‘you’re strong, you’ll succeed and everything
will be okay and even if everything is delayed, every
delay is for the better’. [Female, 26]
This excerpt highlights a common coping strategy
where individuals use positive self-talk and arma-
tions to counteract the negative emotions associated
with FoMO. By reinforcing a narrative of personal
strength and the belief that delays and setbacks are
benecial in the long run, participants aim to reframe
their experience of FoMO. Other examples involve
using justication as a self-soothing strategy, fram-
ing missed opportunities as a matter of fate:
around the corner reects the paradox of FoMO in
dating, where the pursuit of an ideal relationship can
lead to dissatisfaction with present options and a
sense of inadequacy. Another participant expressed
how missed opportunities in dating can exacerbate
FoMO:
I feel a strong sense of FoMO in dating, when I want
to pick up on girls. I see this as an opportunity, and it’s
like you say to yourself, ‘get out there and create the
situation’. And then you kind of approach her, and it
doesn’t happen. And you are full of disappointment,
‘How did I miss that?’ It’s also FoMO for me because
it’s not just about not going to an event or a party, but
the missed opportunities, moments where a sentence
that you want to say to someone and didn’t say… It’s
FoMO, because you’re missing out on opportunities.
]Male, 28]
This account illustrates how each dating interaction
is seen as a potential opportunity for meaningful
connection. The disappointment of missed chances
in dating can intensify feelings of FoMO, as par-
ticipants reect on what could have been if they had
acted dierently. The sense of losing out on poten-
tial connections contributes to the overall feeling of
inadequacy and frustration in the romantic domain.
Social inuence and peer pressure also play a sig-
nicant role in shaping participants’ experiences of
FoMO in romance. One participant mentioned the
stress of seeing peers in committed relationships:
Sometimes I feel a pang in my heart when I see as
if everyone else is already married… It’s a bit frus-
trating. Seeing all these weddings, it becomes more
stressful. [Female, 25]
This excerpt highlights how the visibility of others’
romantic milestones can create a sense of urgency
and stress, making individuals feel that they are
falling behind in their own romantic lives. The pur-
suit of an idealized relationship, coupled with the
awareness of missed chances and societal pressures,
contributes to a complex emotional landscape where
participants struggle with feelings of inadequacy
and frustration.
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her approach to missed events by framing them as
temporary:
I think everything in life passes by, all things are
temporary, so if there’s something happening that I
wanted to be a part of and I wasn’t, it’s okay. It will
pass anyway, and then it’s over. So it’s not that bad if
I’ll miss it. [Female, 24]
This perspective reects a cognitive technique of
rationalizing missed opportunities as eeting and
inconsequential. By emphasizing the temporary
nature of events, participants can alleviate some of
the immediate frustration associated with missing
out, thereby reducing the emotional impact. Another
participant elaborated on how receiving external
validation can ease the frustration of missing out:
If it’s something I missed, it eats me from the inside,
Unless, of course, someone tells me that it wasn’t a big
deal, it’s good you didn’t come, it was boring. Then
it’s okay, it makes me feel a bit better about missing
out. [Male, 24]
This excerpt highlights how external reassurance
that a missed event was unremarkable can help par-
ticipants reconcile with their experience of FoMO.
By downplaying the importance of the missed
event, individuals can reduce their sense of loss
and emotional distress. A broader perspective on
the temporal nature of desires allows participants to
adopt a more patient and accepting approach to their
impulses:
We are living in a time where everything is end-
less. What you want now will be the same for you in
another month, two, or three years. There’s no need
to do it now. If you had done it, the urge would have
faded away in another month anyway and it wouldn’t
interest you anymore. Did you want it? Did you get
to a place where you still love it? Cool. You have the
memory of it. Did you want it and didn’t do it? You
will do it at some point, and you’ll have the memory
of it… These momentary things, in my opinion, are
very ephemeral, they vanish. It’s just about truly
understanding and accepting. To accept the situa-
tion, to accept that not everything has to come to you.
[Male, 29]
I say to myself, ‘I probably wasn’t supposed to be
there’. Like fate. Even if I wanted to go out, I tell
myself that I probably wasn’t supposed to be there,
and it didn’t work out for some reason. It makes me
feel better. [Male, 27]
This approach involves interpreting missed oppor-
tunities as part of a larger, predetermined plan. By
attributing the experience of FoMO to external fac-
tors beyond their control, individuals can alleviate
feelings of regret and self-blame and gain a sense
of psychological comfort that helps to mitigate the
frustration associated with missed opportunities.
Finally, some participants described the importance
of acceptance and letting go of control as part of
their coping strategy:
What helped me was releasing control… saying ‘you
did everything you could for it to work, and it didn’t
work’… like saying ‘this is the situation, you can’t
control it,’ and there’s something liberating in accept-
ing that… self-talk like telling myself ‘you couldn’t
change anything in how you behaved,’ so just let it
go… [Male, 29].
This perspective enables participants to accept the
situation more easily by framing it as an inevitable
outcome rather than a personal failure. By acknowl-
edging that certain outcomes are beyond their con-
trol and focusing on what they have already done,
participants can reduce the emotional burden of
FoMO. This strategy of acceptance involves a prag-
matic approach to dealing with missed opportuni-
ties and external pressures, encouraging individuals
to release self-imposed stress and embrace a more
relaxed attitude toward their experiences. Overall,
the use of such strategies demonstrates the partici-
pants’ proactive eorts to cultivate a more positive
and self-compassionate mindset, ultimately sup-
porting their ability to navigate and manage the
challenges associated with FoMO.
(b) Underestimating the value and signicance of the
missed event
In a related manner, another cognitive technique
used by the participants is decreasing the value
attached to the event as insignicant, temporal or
transient. For example, one participant described
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social networks, and I won’t bother taking pictures…
I used to feel like I was doing things on some shallow
level, half-conscious, half not, because I was think-
ing about how they would be photographed and how
it would look on social media, and it took me time to
understand that it really motivates me. You can see it,
let’s say, in restaurants where the food is beautifully
photographed, so they want to go, and what I really
want to do is to be more present, and that I could do
without social media… I decided to delete Instagram
and I can say it really improved. I feel like I’m less
concerned with what people are doing. I’m more
focused on myself. [Male, 28]
This excerpt reects how reducing engagement
with social media platforms allowed participants
to become more present in their experiences and
less preoccupied with the external validation typi-
cally sought through these platforms. The act of
disconnecting enabled a deeper self-connection and
improved their overall well-being. For example,
another participant emphasized how disconnection
from social media fosters greater self-awareness:
I think the fear of missing out is very strong, especially
in our generation. But because everything is terribly
global, all through the internet, exposed to everything
and seeing everything, all the things people post.
We can disconnect to self-reset, to understand for a
moment where we stand, what we are doing. [Female,
25]
This quote underscores the benet of stepping away
from the constant inux of curated social media
content. By disconnecting, participants create space
for self-reection and focus on their own needs and
values rather than being inuenced by others’ seem-
ingly idealized lives. Overall, these excerpts illus-
trate how the critical awareness of social media’s
façade, combined with intentional disconnection
from these platforms, helps participants manage
their FoMO. Recognizing the articial nature of
online representations allows individuals to better
focus on their own experiences, reducing the emo-
tional strain of the constant comparison to others’
lives.
(d) Autonomy and self-reliance rather than pleasing
others
This viewpoint suggests that participants can
adopt a more balanced and less reactive approach
to FoMO by recognizing that desires and opportu-
nities are often recurrent. The understanding that
missing out on something now does not equate to
a permanent loss helps mitigate the pressure to act
immediately on every impulse. Overall, by framing
missed opportunities as inconsequential or transient,
participants can better manage their frustration and
maintain a sense of balance in the face of social and
personal pressures.
(c) Realizing the misuse and façade of social media
Participants often described how recognizing the
gap between the reality of their lives and the façade
presented on social media helped them mitigate the
frustration associated with FoMO. This realization
allows them to navigate their experiences with a
more critical perspective, reducing the emotional
impact of perceived missed opportunities. For
example, one participant articulated her understand-
ing of social media as a distorted representation of
reality:
It’s a lot of self-work… I’ve learned to understand
that Instagram can be one big lie. A person takes their
phone and takes a picture like they’re at a party and
having a great time when, in reality, they stood there
to take a picture for 2 min, and the rest of the evening,
they were on their phone. Or, on the other hand, it’s a
person who is upset and just went out. So, I tell myself
that not everything is true in social media, and not
everything should concern me because it’s probably
just an exaggeration. [Female, 26]
This insight highlights how participants come to
recognize that social media often presents an exag-
gerated or incomplete view of others’ lives. By
acknowledging that social media posts can be mis-
leading and do not reect the full reality of people’s
experiences, participants can better temper their
own FoMO and reduce the emotional impact of
such comparisons. In response to this realization,
some participants reported taking steps to discon-
nect from social media or reduce their exposure as
a strategy to manage their FoMO and regain control
over their lives:
I decided to delete the social media apps. I told myself
that when I was traveling in India, I won’t deal with
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
This quote underscores the shift towards personal
independence, where the individual prioritizes their
own needs and preferences over the pressure to con-
form to social norms. This emphasis on autonomy
also allows for more selective engagement in social
activities, reecting a conscious decision to priori-
tize personal interests and well-being over the need
to please others. Overall, these quotes suggest that
by valuing personal values, focusing on individual
enjoyment, and selectively engaging in social activ-
ities, participants may mitigate the negative impacts
of FoMO.
(e) Perspective and mindfulness
Participants consistently emphasized the impor-
tance of adopting a broader perspective and practic-
ing mindfulness as eective strategies for managing
FoMO, which enable them to create distance from
the immediate pressures of FoMO and gain clarity.
The participants also described the importance of
adopting a broader perspective on life and a sense
of presence which enables more distance from the
situation and less pressure, for example:
Looking at the world dierently, being more pres-
ent and thinking less about regrets related to the past.
When you are present, you can observe and ask your-
self what you truly want. I stop and ask myself about
my desires, releasing myself more easily. It’s a kind of
conscious shift, I believe. [Male, 27]
This quote underscores the value of mindfulness
in fostering a present-centered mindset, where par-
ticipants focus on their current desires and release
regrets about missed opportunities. By reframing
their experiences and focusing on what they truly
want, they can better manage feelings of inadequacy
or frustration. Another participant described how
this perspective helps in evaluating situations more
rationally:
I try to think about what advice I would give a friend
in this situation. Trying to look at things from the
outside or from above and reect. It’s understanding
that if you want to be everywhere, you won’t truly
be anywhere. The whole point of FoMO is that you
want to experience and enjoy, but you detract from
the experience itself when you constantly think about
other things. Just being in the moment, understand-
ing what you truly want, what suits you best at that
Participants frequently highlighted the role of auton-
omy and self-reliance in managing their FoMO,
contrasting this approach with the pressures of con-
forming to social expectations or seeking external
validation. For example, one participant illustrated
how a commitment to personal values over societal
prestige helped cultivate a sense of fulllment and
independence:
I chose a profession that is not prestigious at all and
not very economically rewarding… out of a complete
belief in the values of this profession and no matter
how hard it was for me, I never regretted my choice.
I never felt I should be somewhere else. I mostly feel
that I fulll my purpose at work, and I think it is very
much related to my attentiveness to myself, that I
chose to do something I am good at and believe in. In
the social realm it was harder for me, I was looking for
external reassurance… Today, I feel that it has much
less impact on me. For example, if I see friends going
out, I will go because I want to or because I feel like
going out, but if, for example, they are going out and
I’m less interested or it doesn’t suit me, then I won’t
go. I’ve learned to appreciate myself more, learned to
care less about pleasing people, something I used to
do a lot. [male, 27]
This excerpt emphasizes how prioritizing personal
beliefs and passions over external validation can
create a stronger sense of purpose and satisfaction.
The participant’s shift from seeking external reas-
surance to valuing personal fulllment highlights
the importance of aligning one’s choices with intrin-
sic values rather than social expectations. Similarly,
another participant described how autonomy has
enhanced their ability to enjoy the present moment
without being swayed by others:
I feel less dependent on other people to enjoy the situ-
ation is to develop personal independence. To learn
that you are not dependent on the environment around
you. And this way, you can enjoy the moment wher-
ever you are. Trying to focus on myself, less on what
other people are doing, more on what I am doing at
the moment and what I enjoy doing. I don’t care too
much about what happens in other people’s lives if it’s
not related to me… Today, I know better how to say
what is good for me, what is not good for me, and with
whom I connect. ]Male, 24]
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
By emphasizing enjoyment and positive experi-
ences, participants can counteract negative feelings
associated with FoMO and enhance their overall
satisfaction with the present. Furthermore, ground-
ing techniques, such as physical activities and mind-
fulness, help participants connect with their bodily
sensations and emotions, as this excerpt exemplies:
I cope mainly physically. It can also be cleaning the
house and cooking. Anything that releases the energy.
And mindfulness, so I will do something like that. I
will ask myself ‘What is my will? What do I want in
this situation of FoMO?’ or what do I want now, and
I’m not going to get it. If it’s sex, if it’s friends, if it’s
chocolate… And ‘what is the feeling in the body that
I feel within it, and what emotions come up for me
with this thing?’ And trying to be with it as much as
possible. It also helps a lot at the level that it guides
me to a place where I listen and connect to myself and
not to the ego and to the fear and anxiety that often
drives me. And when I do this, it gives me some place
of control and choice. [male, 28]
By engaging in activities that ground them and ask-
ing themselves about their true desires, the partici-
pants appear to regain control and choice, which
supports their ability to cope with FoMO more
eectively. These quotes illustrate that adopting a
broader perspective, practicing mindfulness, and
engaging in grounding activities are valuable strate-
gies for managing FoMO.
(f) Prioritizing personal goals and values
The participants also emphasized the crucial role
of self-awareness and alignment with personal val-
ues in managing FoMO. These internal guides help
them focus on what truly matters and buer the
negative eects of social comparison and external
pressures, for example:
It’s a shame I can’t be with them, and I’m stuck at
work. On the other hand, I am making money, and I
am aware that you can’t have it all at once. There’s
always something that comes at the expense of some-
thing else. You can’t have your cake and eat it too…
and this self-awareness of what’s important helps. To
understand what you truly need. Do I really want this,
or do I want it because other people want it, and it
seems attractive? You need to have a priority order in
your mind. And you know exactly what you need to
moment, and being there. Then you’ll surely enjoy it.
[Female, 24]
By viewing situations from an external or broader
perspective, participants can recognize that attempt-
ing to be everywhere can undermine the enjoyment
of any single experience. Such a broader perspective
also helps participants maintain proportion and real-
ism in their assessments of situations, for example:
A broader perspective helps me to be realistic. Putting
everything into proportion. Yes, there are people who
got exempt, but dealing with it involves a broader view
that helps me see the other side as well. For example,
You can see the same situation from various angles.
It’s something that greatly assists me in my thinking.
You are always in some situation that you can look at
it from various angles. You can examine FoMO deeply
and see if it’s justied. There are people who would be
happy to be in your situation. So, this broad perspec-
tive and understanding whether the situation is really
as dicult as you think brings me back to reality. And
that missing something is not really missing; you can
learn from every case and take something from it. But
just looking at it from a dierent angle, from a dif-
ferent point of view and then reecting on it a bit, is
encouraging and supporting. Analyzing the case, the
situation I experienced. Breathing into it, observing it,
seeing how I acted. [Male, 25]
This reection highlights how viewing situations
from multiple angles can mitigate feelings of miss-
ing out by recognizing that there are always dierent
perspectives on any given situation. By understand-
ing that other people may be in less favorable cir-
cumstances, participants can better appreciate their
own situation and learn from every experience. This
approach encourages a focus on positive aspects of
the current moment rather than dwelling on what
could have been:
To focus on what we’re doing is to enjoy… to try to
enjoy what we’re actually doing. And not all the time
thinking about what would happen if it were dierent.
To enjoy the moment I am in now, to nd the good
in it… the positive experiences in it, and not just the
negative experiences, which is something we always
tend to see, I think.” [ Male, 27].
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
I write down things for myself, as if asking, ‘what is
the ultimate goal? What are my goals, my high-level
goals? And what are the intermediate goals? It could
be to nish my studies properly, to be a better part-
ner, travel abroad, move out and live alone. Every
day, these desires just intensify, intensify, trying to
accomplish everything. And clarifying what is more
important and what’s less helps deal with wanting
everything, with FoMO [Male, 27].
This approach emphasizes the importance of distin-
guishing between immediate desires and long-term
aspirations. By setting clear goals and understand-
ing their signicance, participants can better man-
age the feeling of FoMO by focusing on pursuing
meaningful achievements rather than being over-
whelmed by transient opportunities. Focusing on
personal values and goals also helps participants
navigate social pressures and comparisons. As one
participant noted:
Despite the social pressure of seeing many people get-
ting engaged and married for example, I still, deep
down, know that I currently have a goal that guides
me and important to me. I stick to my goal; it usually
prevents me from succumbing to this social pressure.
The same goes for the big trip; anyone you meet on the
street at our age will tell you, ‘Yes, I’ve done the big
trip.’ It’s annoying, yet I don’t let this pressure get to
me just because I’m committed to my goal, to nish
my degree, get where I want to go, and I’ll get there.
It will happen for me too… Sometimes, you have to
choose between values that are more or less important.
[Female, 24]
Overall, these quotes underscore the importance of
self-awareness and alignment with personal val-
ues in coping with FoMO. By prioritizing what is
genuinely important and using tools like writing to
clarify goals, participants can build a solid founda-
tion that reduces reliance on external validation and
helps them navigate the complexities of modern life
with greater condence and fulllment.
In sum, the ndings suggest three overarching themes that
encapsulate the essence of the participants’ lived experi-
ences of FoMO, manifesting in oine and online contexts.
The rst theme oers an insider’s perspective of the various
characteristics of this experience according to the interview-
ees’ own experience, which also involves its accompanying
physical and emotional manifestations, potential tensions
do. You choose what is more important and fullling
for you. [Male, 21]
This quote illustrates how recognizing the trade-
os between immediate desires and long-term
goals enables participants to make more deliber-
ate choices. The participants also emphasized how
attuning to their values and goals facilitates clearer
decision-making. As one interviewee noted:
Listening to yourself enables the power to say no. To
say, I’m not doing it now; I’m not going now. Because
I have more important things, and it’s like the goal,
something I need to achieve, want to achieve, want to
build, that is more meaningful for me than the leisure.
It brings me back to myself, a moment to my truth,
what I want to be. [Male, 24]
Such self-alignment allows the participants to reject
activities or social events that do not align with their
priorities, thereby reducing the impact of FoMO.
By focusing on what is truly meaningful, they can
resist the temptation to conform to social expecta-
tions and instead pursue goals that resonate with
their personal values. Several participants found
that journaling about their goals and priorities helps
in managing FoMO, as one of them described:
I make an eort to be my own mentor and tell myself,
‘it’s okay even if you don’t manage everything’. I also
sometimes write. If I write, not even on the phone,
pen and paper, and I make a list of things I want to
do and achieve, whether it’s in the next 3 days or the
next couple of years, as if they are goals that I want
to achieve: Where do I see myself in a year? What
have I managed to achieve? For what reasons is it
important to me to be? Which friends do matter and
are important for me to be with, and which ones do I
care less about being with?’ I write down these things,
and it brings order to my thoughts. Writing it down is
what helps me, and it brings some order to the chaos
of wanting it all. [Male, 22]
As this quote exemplies, documenting goals and
reecting on personal values helps create a sense of
structure and clarity. Writing also serves as a tool for
clarifying long-term objectives and aligning daily
actions with higher-order goals, for example:
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
regret or feelings of missed chances. This suggests a new
direction for further understanding FoMO’s impact, show-
ing that it manifests in both online and oine life, beyond
earlier research primarily focused on digital aspects (Przyb-
ylski et al., 2013). Dierentiating these forms broadens the
understanding of FoMO’s impact, showing it aects both
online and oine life and highlights the need for interven-
tions that address both aspects.
The dual nature of FoMO
Another key nding was the apparent contradiction embed-
ded within the FoMO experience. On the one hand, FoMO
elicits discomfort, exclusion, and inadequacy. On the other
hand, participants also noted FoMO’s potentially adaptive
role in signaling unfullled needs or misalignment between
one’s circumstances and desires. Unlike the predominantly
negative portrayal of FoMO in prior studies, our research
suggests that FoMO can also serve as a motivator for positive
behavior, such as increased social engagement and striving
to achieve personal goals (Milyavskaya et al., 2018). Mily-
avskaya et al. (2018) explored the prevalence, dynamics, and
consequences of experiencing FoMO and found that FoMO
can also drive college students to engage more socially and
work toward personal goals. This duality in the impact of
FoMO can be understood through the lens of Self-Determi-
nation Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000), which posits that
the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relat-
edness are fundamental for well-being. When these needs
are unmet, as may be the case when FoMO arises, individu-
als may experience diminished motivation and well-being.
However, this discontent can also motivate individuals to
make positive changes to align their lives with these needs,
as our ndings exemplied. Thus, while distressing, FoMO
may also prompt self-reection and positive adaptation. This
aligns with Nursodiq et al.‘s (2020) work proposing that the
“fear of missing information” can motivate positive action.
FoMO in key life domains
The results delineate central life domains where FoMO is
especially amplied for emerging adults, including social,
professional, and dating situations. Participants described
FoMO arising from seeing friends’ social media posts of
social events they missed, professional opportunities they
couldn’t pursue, and doubts about romantic commitments
due to “feeling like maybe there’s something slightly better
around the corner,” as one of the participants mentioned.
These examples enrich our understanding of the contexts in
which emerging adults may experience heightened FoMO,
particularly in life domains sensitive to identity construction
during this developmental period (Arnet,2023).
and inner conicts, and the ‘bright’ side of FoMO. The sec-
ond theme introduced central life domains of the experience
of FoMO for the participants: the social domain, occupa-
tional domain, and the romantic domain. The third theme
illuminated potential coping strategies employed by the par-
ticipants to cope with the experience of FoMO, including
self-soothing techniques and armations, underestimating
the value and signicance of the missed event, realizing the
misuse and falseness of social media, autonomy and self-
reliance rather than pleasing others, perspective and mind-
fulness, and prioritizing meaning and values.
Discussion
The pervasive use of social media and digital technologies
has intensied the impact of FoMO, particularly among
emerging adults, who are at a stage in life where social
connections and experiences play a crucial role in identity
formation and social integration (Arnett, 2023). Through
in-depth interviews, we aimed to explore the subjective
lived experiences of FoMO and the spontaneous coping
strategies developed by emerging adults to cope with this
phenomenon.
Understanding the experience of FoMO
Our results provide a nuanced understanding of how emerg-
ing adults experience and describe FoMO in their daily
lives. Participants characterized FoMO by feelings of
exclusion, disconnection, and inadequacy when becoming
aware of peers’ experiences. This aligns with prior quanti-
tative research linking FoMO to negative social compari-
sons and perceptions that others lead more rewarding lives
(Przybylski et al., 2013). However, the present ndings go
beyond existing literature by oering a rst-hand ‘bottom-
up’ glimpse into the frustration, sadness, anxiety, and lack
of motivation that may accompany FoMO. Participants also
described physical manifestations of FoMO, reecting this
experience’s distressing nature. These descriptions contrib-
ute to a more holistic understanding of the typical emotions
and physical sensations accompanying FoMO as they mani-
fest in everyday experiences.
Digital and non-digital manifestations of FoMO
Our ndings suggest that FoMO manifests in both digi-
tal and non-digital forms. Digital FoMO, driven by social
media, made participants feel inadequate and left out when
they saw others’ online posts, while non-digital FoMO was
experienced oine. The latter, for example, included miss-
ing out of professional or romantic opportunities, leading to
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
Despite empirical work heavily emphasizing technol-
ogy-related FoMO, the lived experience likely represents
a broader human motivation not limited to digital spaces.
The present research makes an important contribution by
providing rich descriptive insights into how emerging adults
encounter and cope with FoMO in their daily lives. This
advances our understanding of FoMO’s phenomenology
and its embedding in key developmental contexts.
Furthermore, identifying adaptive coping methods that
young people already employ lays the groundwork for
interventions that leverage these intrinsic self-regulatory
capacities. As FoMO appears to rise among young adults
today, equipping them with strategies to manage this threat
to well-being is crucial. Educators can incorporate FoMO
awareness into digital literacy programs, while practitio-
ners should develop interventions focused on cognitive-
behavioral strategies, mindfulness, and fostering oine
relationships. For individuals, practicing mindfulness, set-
ting boundaries around social media use, and strengthening
real-world connections are actionable steps to mitigate the
eects of FoMO and enhance overall well-being.
Policy implications
The ndings of this study have important implications for
policy makers, particularly in educational and mental health
contexts. In educational settings, recognizing FoMO as a
signicant issue among emerging adults suggests a need for
integrating critical thinking skills and emotional well-being
essential ingredients when using digital settings, providing
them with tools to manage FoMO eectively (Elhai et al.,
2016). For instance, educational institutions could imple-
ment workshops to build resilience against the negative
eects of social comparison and social media use (Przybyl-
ski et al., 2013). In mental health services, FoMO should be
considered a contributing factor to anxiety and depression
among young adults (Baker et al., 2016). Policies could be
developed to include FoMO assessments in routine mental
health screenings and to oer targeted interventions, such as
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, to reduce
the negative impacts of FoMO (Hunt et al., 2018). Addi-
tionally, public health campaigns could be designed to raise
awareness about the pervasive nature of FoMO and encour-
age healthier social media use, drawing on successful mod-
els from existing mental health awareness campaigns.
Limitations and directions for Future Research
The present study has several limitations that should be
taken into consideration. Given that the present study was
conducted within a specic sociocultural context, future
Spontaneous coping strategies
Participants described a wide range of spontaneous coping
methods they have developed to mitigate FoMO’s nega-
tive impacts, including cognitive strategies such as positive
self-talk, recognizing the façade that social media presents,
emotional coping through self-soothing, and behavioral
approaches such as temporarily disconnecting from social
media. The participants’ self-initiated strategies illustrate the
range of coping mechanisms emerging adults use to mitigate
the challenges and emotions triggered by FoMO, expand-
ing existing knowledge that has predominantly focused on
formal interventions targeting social media use rather than
the self-initiated regulation strategies that emerging adults
employ (Brown & Kuss, 2020).
Our ndings suggest that the secular and young partici-
pants in this study predominantly used individualistic coping
strategies to manage FoMO rather than seeking communal
support. This may be in line with the gradual transition of
the Israeli society from a collectivist orientation toward indi-
vidualistic values (e.g., Maysless & Russo-Netzer, 2021).
This may suggest the role of the socio-cultural context on
the strategies that young people adopt to cope with FoMO.
Coping strategies and character strengths
The coping strategies described by participants can also be
conceptualized and understood through the lens of the VIA
model of character strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004).
For instance, perspective-taking and cognitive reappraisal
reect strengths like perspective and creativity, while prac-
ticing mindfulness and savoring current moments engage
strengths such as appreciation of beauty and curiosity.
Disconnecting from social media demonstrates strengths
of self-regulation and prudence, and prioritizing personal
goals involves perseverance and critical thinking. Interven-
tions tailored to build these specic strengths may empower
emerging adults to better cope with FoMO and align their
lives with what matters most to them.
Theoretical and practical contribution
Although recent research has tended to view FoMO through
the lens of digital technology (Przybylski et al., 2013), this
psychological phenomenon predates the digital age. At its
core, FoMO stems from fundamental human desires for
social inclusion and connectedness (Baumeister & Leary,
1995). The fear of missing out can arise in various interper-
sonal and social contexts beyond social media. While not
explicitly conceptualized as FoMO, the foundation of this
phenomenon have roots in early psychology literature on
social needs and comparison (Festinger, 1954).
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:32665–32685
Author contributions The two authors contributed equally to the
study conception and design, material preparation, data collection, and
analysis. All drafts of the manuscript were written by the two authors
equally. The two authors read and approved the nal manuscript.
Funding Open access funding provided by Ariel University. No fund-
ing was received for conducting this study.
Data availability Data cannot be shared openly but are available on
request from authors.
Declarations
Consent to participate Informed consent was obtained from all indi-
vidual participants included in the study.
Ethical approval The interviews and methodology for this study were
approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Achva Aca-
demic College (Ethics approval number: 0161).
Conict of interest The authors declare that there is no conict of in-
terest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article.
The authors have no competing interests to declare relevant to this
article’s content.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format,
as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the
source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate
if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this
article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless
indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not
included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended
use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted
use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright
holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4.0/.
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Appendix 1
Table 2 Demographic information for the participants
Age Gender Marital status Level of Religiosity
23 Male Single Secular
26 Female Married + 1 Secular
23 Female Single Secular
22 Female Single Secular
24 Female Single Secular
24 Female Single Secular
29 Male Single Secular
20 Female Single Secular
22 Female Single Secular
23 Male Single Secular
28 Female Single Secular
29 Male Single Secular
29 Male Single Secular
30 Female Single Secular
24 Female Single Secular
26 Female Single Secular
24 Female Single Religious
22 Female Single Secular
24 Female Single Secular
22 Female Single Religious
27 Male Single Religious
26 Female Married Religious
26 Male Single Religious
24 Male Single Religious
21 Male Single Religious
24 Female Single Secular
21 Male Single Secular
24 Male Single Religious
22 Male Single Secular
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