What the thing is
FOMO is apprehension about missing beneficial information, events, experiences, or decisions. It is the fear that deciding not to participate is the wrong choice. It is associated with fear of regret across social, experiential, financial, and relational domains.
Where it came from
FOMO was formally defined in 2004 at Harvard Business School. Antecedent usage appeared in business literature in the late 1990s. It is not a clinical diagnosis but a behavioural descriptor rooted in marketing and decision theory.
What it gets right
FOMO names a real psychological state: apprehension about missing beneficial experiences, intensified by digital connectivity. It correctly links this to anxiety, depression, sleep loss, and compulsive checking.
What it gets wrong
It misattributes timeless regret to a digital phenomenon. The document gives no evidence that FOMO is new in kind—only that it has increased recently due to technology. It conflates cause with context.
Why it matters now
Because it shapes platform design, investment behaviour, and mental health discourse. Social networking sites create many opportunities for FOMO. Psychological dependence on social media can lead to FOMO—or even pathological Internet use.
Is it worth your time
Yes—if you manage attention, design products, or study digital behaviour. No—if you treat it as a universal human condition or a moral failing.
