FEAR OF MISSING OUT IN FINANCIAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the level of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) among individuals in the context of financial investment decision-making processes and to reveal the relationship between this psychological construct and socio-demographic variables. Specifically, this research empirically investigates the processes through which banks, utilizing mobile applications, promotional campaigns, and instant notification mechanisms, trigger the perception of missing out on current opportunities among customers, and examines the resultant impact of this perception on individuals' financial decision-making processes. The research was designed in accordance with a quantitative research design. A highly structured questionnaire was employed as the data collection instrument. Data collected from the study's sample of 180 bank customers were analyzed using the SPSS 25 statistical package program. The statistical analyses conducted revealed that the perceived FOMO levels of female participants were significantly higher than those of male participants. It was also observed that individuals' FOMO levels tended to decrease with advancing age. In terms of educational attainment, university graduates demonstrated the highest level of FOMO. Furthermore, it was determined that FOMO generates effects such as anxiety, social comparison, and hasty decision-making in individuals, and that these effects become more pronounced with increased digitalization. The findings scientifically demonstrate that FOMO transcends being a phenomenon limited solely to social interactions or social media; it has emerged as a determining factor in critical domains such as banking, where it can directly affect an individual's financial well-being and economic decisions. In light of these results, scientifically-based recommendations have been developed concerning both the improvement of individual financial behaviors and the contexts of marketing ethics and digital communication strategies within the banking sector.