Impact of FOMO on social Avoidance Distress and college student

This study investigated the impact of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on social avoidance distress and depression among college students in Jalgaon City, Maharashtra, India. A sample of 152 college students, categorized into high and low FoMO groups, participated in the research. The Fear of Missing out Scale (FoMOs), Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were employed to assess FoMO, social avoidance distress, and depression levels, respectively. Results revealed that high FoMO college students exhibited significantly higher levels of both social avoidance distress and depression compared to their low FoMO counterparts. Statistical analyses, including t-tests, demonstrated significant differences in mean scores for social avoidance distress (t = 7.04, p < 0.01) and depression (t = 13.96, p < 0.01) between the two groups. A strong positive correlation (r = .78, p < 0.01) was found between social avoidance distress and depression, indicating that as social avoidance distress increased, so did depression levels among college students. Conclusion, research found that college students experiencing high levels of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) exhibited greater social avoidance distress and depression compared to those with lower FoMO levels. Notable positive correlation was discovered between social avoidance distress and depression among these students.