A Study on the Relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Subjective Well-being among Senior Students

Abstract

The rapid expansion of social media and digital technology has significantly altered the psychological landscape of adolescents, giving rise to phenomena such as the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) a pervasive apprehension that others are enjoying more rewarding experiences in one's absence. The present study investigates the relationship between FoMO and Subjective Well-Being (SWB) among senior secondary students in the Jammu district of Jammu & Kashmir. A quantitative research design was employed, with a sample of 200 students (100 male, 100 female) drawn from Classes 11 and 12 across government and private schools using two-level stratified purposive sampling. FoMO was measured using the Fear of Missing Out Scale (Przybylski et al., 2013), and subjective well-being was assessed through the Students' Subjective Well-Being Questionnaire (Renshaw et al., 2015). The findings revealed a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between FoMO and subjective well-being (r = .185, p < .01), suggesting that moderate FoMO may motivate students to seek social connection, slightly enhancing their overall well-being. No significant differences were found in either variable based on school type or gender. The study contributes culturally relevant evidence from an Indian educational context, underscoring the need for digital literacy programs and counseling interventions to support adolescent well-being.