CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: HOW JOY OF MISSING OUT SHAPES GENERATION Z'S AUTHENTIC CULTURAL EXPERIENCES THROUGH DIGITAL WELLNESS PRACTICES

This study examines the complex relationship between digital wellness practices and cultural heritage tourism intentions among Generation Z, focusing on the mediating role of the 'Joy of Missing Out' (JOMO). We aimed to understand how conscious digital consumption, particularly digital detox behavior, influences the desire for authentic cultural experiences. A quantitative crosssectional survey was administered to high school students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This demographic was chosen because it represents a digitally native generation, making them ideal subjects for examining the impact of digital habits. Validated measurement scales were used to ensure the reliability and validity of the data collected on digital detox, JOMO, authentic cultural experience seeking, and cultural heritage tourism intentions. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis, allowing for the simultaneous assessment of multiple hypothesized relationships within the theoretical framework. The results unequivocally support all hypothesized relationships, demonstrating robust statistical significance. Crucially, digital detox practices have a positive influence on the development of JOMO, indicating that consciously disengaging from digital platforms fosters a sense of contentment with one's current offline experiences. Furthermore, both digital detox practices and the cultivation of JOMO significantly influenced attitudes toward and intentions to engage in heritage tourism. The integrated theoretical framework successfully explained substantial variance in heritage tourism intentions, underscoring the complexity of the factors driving Generation Z's cultural tourism behavior. This behavior, our findings suggest, emerges from a dynamic interplay between conscious digital consumption modification, psychological wellness states (such as JOMO), and a genuine appreciation for authentic cultural experiences. The findings demonstrate that Joy of Missing Out serves as a crucial psychological mechanism linking digital detox behaviors to authentic cultural experience seeking, providing valuable insights for cultural tourism marketing strategies and destination management approaches targeting digitally native generations.