Fear of Missing Out and Sexting Among Adolescents: Risk Behaviors and Mental Health Outcomes

Fear of missing out (FoMO) is the apprehensive feeling that others are engaging in rewarding activities. Because adolescence is a time in the lifespan when individuals are sensitive to social cues, FoMO may relate to engagement in risky activities and poor mental health. Sexting is a risky activity, where adolescents send and receive sexually explicit texts, photos, and videos. FoMO may have an indirect effect on sexting to risky behaviors, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms. In this study, 304 adolescents ( M = 16.12 years, SD = 1.08; 69% female), completed an online questionnaire about demographics, sexting behaviors, fear of missing out, risk behaviors, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. There were significant associations between FoMO, sexting, risk behaviors, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms. FoMO mediated the relationship between sexting and anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms, respectively. For adolescents, FoMO may play a role in the mental health sequelae of sexting