Fear of Missing out Serially Mediated by Social Media Use and Alcohol-Related Content on Alcohol Outcomes Among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Examination

Fear of missing out (FoMO) is the apprehension that others may be having more rewarding experiences from which one is absent. A positive relationship between FoMO and social media related behaviors is well established. Limited studies have examined how FoMO may be associated with risky health behaviors, such as alcohol use. Risky alcohol use is a pervasive public health issue among college students, a population with high rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. Emerging studies have identified alcohol-related content (ARC) on social media may predict greater college drinking. Yet no research has investigated if social media ARC exposure is a mechanism linking FoMO to alcohol outcomes among college students. This study examined if FoMO is indirectly related to college student (<i>N</i> = 705; ages 18-25) alcohol outcomes (i.e., quantity, frequency, problems, and peak drinks) via frequency of checking social media and frequency of ARC exposure from peers. All paths sequentially linking FoMO to alcohol outcomes were significant and positive. Greater FoMO was related to more frequent social media checking, greater ARC exposure, and indirectly related to greater alcohol consumption and problems. FoMO may be a helpful indicator of who is at risk of risky drinking and problems via social media use.