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Fear of Missing Out Linked to Lower Wellbeing, Social Media Influencers Offer Benefits

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A study published in PLOS ONE has found a direct association between fear of missing out (FOMO) and lower levels of social, psychological, and financial wellbeing among younger consumers who follow social media influencers. The research, conducted by a team from Ohio State University, analyzed data from a U.S. sample of 863 adults aged 18-40 who follow social media influencers. The study reveals that while FOMO is linked to lower wellbeing, parasocial interactions with social media influencers can have a positive impact on wellbeing.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found a direct association between fear of missing out (FOMO) and lower levels of social, psychological, and financial wellbeing among younger consumers.
  • Parasocial interactions with social media influencers are associated with higher levels of social, psychological, and financial wellbeing.
  • The study used structural equation modeling to analyze data from a U.S. sample of 863 adults aged 18-40 who follow social media influencers.
  • The research is among the first to document the direct association of FOMO with lower wellbeing and shows that parasocial interactions with social media influencers are a key pathway through which social media use can benefit wellbeing.
  • Researchers Cazilia Loibl, Abbey Bartosiak, and Jung Eun Lee conducted the study, which was published in PLOS ONE on April 29, 2025.

Statistics:

  • The study analyzed data from a U.S. sample of 863 adults aged 18-40 who follow social media influencers.
  • The researchers found that FOMO is directly linked to lower levels of social, psychological, and financial wellbeing.
  • Parasocial interactions with social media influencers are associated with higher levels of social, psychological, and financial wellbeing.
  • The study used structural equation modeling to analyze data and found that greater fear of missing out is inversely linked to higher levels of parasocial interactions.

Sources:

  • Loibl, C., Bartosiak, A., & Lee, J. E. (2025). Fear of Missing Out, Social Media Influencers, and the Social, Psychological and Financial Wellbeing of Young Consumers. PLOS ONE, 20(4).
  • Ohio State University, Department of Human Sciences, Columbus, OH 43210, United States.
  • Public Library of Science, 1160 Battery Street, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA.

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