Social Media triggering Fear of Missing Out amongst the Youth Precipitating Depression and Loneliness

 According to UNICEF, globally, approximately 1 in 7 adolescents aged 10–19 experience mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. Excessive use of social media leads to an increase in feelings of loneliness and depression. In contrast, it can support online but also affect the mental health of an individual. 

Fear of Missing Out(FOMO)

Przybylski's study of Oxford University in 2013 defines  "FOMO as a pervasive anxiety or concern others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent." Another study in the World Journal of Clinical Cases describes "FOMO as the perception of missing out on rewarding experiences and the compulsive behavior to maintain social interaction to alleviate anxiety". The Gen-Z shift in India describes "FOMO as Fun of Missing Out, prioritizes well-being over constant connectivity."


Social Media Impacts on Youth

The tragic case of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old girl from the UK, died by attempting suicide after being exposed to harmful social media content. Australian teens are the highest users of digital devices, 49 hours per week. This issue relates to obesity, sleep deprivation, and depression. Brazilian youth engage on social media for 3 hours and 49 minutes per person daily. The National Survey of Local Circle in India involves 46000 parents, who say that their children(9-17 yrs) spend 3 hours daily on social media, OTT platforms, and online gaming. Biologically, extreme use of social media can minimize the ability of impulse control, the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is developing in adolescents, decision making, and emotional regulation. Hale and Guan's (2015) study of Sweden predicts that the blue light emission of the screen late at night can increase sleep deprivation, which leads to hormonal imbalance, mood swings, and overall health. A study by Sydney Fradouly found that social comparison on Facebook and Instagram is linked to body dissatisfaction among teenagers, which leads to anxiety, stress, and certain chronic conditions.

                                                                        In the COVID-19 pandemic, social media played a key role by updating several guidelines about social distancing, mask wearing, and vaccination. Virtual gathering of families and friends reinforces everyone to stay at home. Although misinformation about the virus was spread rapidly.










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