Fear of Missing Out as a Predictor of Repetitive Negative Thinking

When individuals are absent from positive social experiences, feelings of apprehension known as Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) may emerge. It may be often accompanied by repetitive negative thinking (RNT) as they persistently dwell on and feel anxious about the missing experiences. However, limited research has been conducted on the predictive relationship between them due to their current emerging state in the field of literature. Thus, this study aimed to examine FoMO as a positive predictor of RNT in Malaysia, an understudied collectivist culture that values interconnectedness. In this cross-sectional study, 80 Malaysian emerging adults aged between 18 and 25 were recruited, whereby they were required to answer the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs) and Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ). Using a simple linear regression analysis, the results found that FoMO significantly and positively predicted RNT. Hence, this study has advanced the scarce knowledge in this field of literature, urging educational institutes to introduce adaptive methods for emerging adults to reframe their FoMO experiences and eventually reduce RNT.