Spending more time on Instagram causes people to experience significantly higher levels of fear of missing out (FoMO) and loneliness, finds this study.
Authors
Benson Rajan, Associate Professor, Jindal School of Journalism & Communication, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Lydia G. Jose, IILM University, India.
Thejas Sundar, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Summary
The amount of time that young people in India spend on Instagram has grown exponentially. This social media platform is a sea of images that reflect the activities that people do, but the constant viewing of other people’s lives can lead to a feeling of dissatisfaction with one’s own life.
Fear of missing out (FoMO) arises when a person who is unable to participate or engage in the activities of others experiences feelings of loneliness and isolation. The present study aims to examine the association between time spent on Instagram and its effect on FoMO and loneliness.
The study sample consists of 401 participants, mainly between 18 and 24 years of age, involved through convenience sampling methods. Participants were administered the One-Item FoMO Abbreviated Form (FoMOsf) and the Three-Item Loneliness Scale to measure FoMO and loneliness, respectively.
Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data, and a one-way analysis of variance was performed between time spent on Instagram and the variables FoMO and loneliness.
In the analysis, a statistically significant difference was found between increasing the amount of time spent on Instagram, that is, less than one hour, 1 to 2 hours, and three or more hours for the FoMO [ Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data, and a one-way analysis of variance was performed between time spent on Instagram and the variables FoMO and loneliness.
In the analysis, a statistically significant difference was found between increasing the amount of time spent on Instagram, that is, less than one hour, 1 to 2 hours, and three or more hours for the FoMO [ Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data, and a one-way analysis of variance was performed between time spent on Instagram and the variables FoMO and loneliness.
In the analysis, a statistically significant difference was found between increasing the amount of time spent on Instagram, that is, less than one hour, 1 to 2 hours, and three or more hours for the FoMO [F (2,398) = 17.92, p < 0.05] and loneliness [ F (2,398) = 3.57, p ≤ 0.029]. Therefore, spending more time on Instagram causes people to experience significantly higher levels of FoMO and loneliness.
Published in: Palabra Clave
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