Assessing fear of missing out (FoMO): an early indication digital mental health among adolescents

The prolonged isolation during the pandemic has raised concerns about the potential increase in digital technology use among adolescents. However, adolescents are considered particularly vulnerable to problems of digital mental health. The present study aimed to assess adolescents’ Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) during public health emergencies in Malaysia. This study conducted a survey of adolescents (n=781) in April-June 2021 to assess the risk of FoMO. The study shows that descriptive analysis for overall FoMO score is moderate level (M=2.53, SD=0.84). Moreover, there was a statistically significant between Time Spent on Social Media (M=5.93, SD=3.67) and FoMO (M=2.53, SD=0.84), the direction of the correlation was positive, which means that students who spent more hours using social media tend to increase their level of FoMO [r (781) = 0.201, p<0.01]. These findings show early indications of digital mental health among adolescents. Therefore, positive aspects of online activities should be promoted. In the meantime, we must consider how the awareness about the detrimental effects of digital media use should be raised. Therefore, significant improvements in health communication among adolescents are needed to increase their understanding and knowledge of applying proper digital mental health practices and adapting to the new norms during the pandemic.