Behind the screen: exploring social media behaviors and fearing of missing out among hotel frontliners

Purpose The purpose of this study is to delve into the intricate ways through which exhibitionism (EX) and voyeurism (VO) affect employees’ fear of missing out (FOMO). Transactional theory of stress is applied to reveal such mechanisms and to explore the FOMO psychological processes that result from the interplay of workplace phubbing (WP) and compulsive social media use, thereby affecting employees’ behavioral responses. Design/methodology/approach This study used data extracted from 834 front-line employees in five-star chain hotels. Findings The findings verified that phubbing at the workplace and excessive use of social media have a great positive influence on the feeling of FOMO. In addition, these two psychological factors, WP and compulsive social media use, are major positive psychological outcomes of FOMO. Surprisingly, these psychological outcomes have a significant effect on the behavioral reactions of employees. Practical implications Understanding how FOMO influences performance and workplace incivility can assist Egyptian hotel managers in creating a more supportive work environment. The negative impacts of FOMO can be mitigated by implementing measures such as developing a work-life balance, providing stress management resources and encouraging positive interpersonal connections. Originality/value This study presents a novel dual-pathway model that demonstrates how FOMO leads to two distinct but linked behaviors, phubbing and compulsive social media use and how these behaviors influence crucial job outcomes. The creativity of this model consists in the recognition of EX/VO as the major digital stressors and FOMO as the different strain that eventually leads to two opposite and functionally different coping behaviors avoidant phubbing versus active compulsive use. Thus providing a novel, mechanism-rich extension of stress theory. Thus providing a novel, mechanism-rich extension of stress theory.