Fear more or fear no more: examining the emotional and behavioral consequences of FOMO and JOMO

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is characterized by anxiety over potentially missed experiences, while Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) embraces contentment in opting out of social engagements. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory, this study aims to investigate how FOMO and JOMO appeals influence pride, gratitude and purchase intention while considering the impacts of age and social comparison orientation.

Three experiments examined the impact of FOMO (Study 1), JOMO (Study 2), and comparison between FOMO and JOMO (Study 3) on pride, gratitude and purchase intention. Moderated-moderated mediation models were also tested to assess the roles of age and social comparison orientation (SCO).

FOMO appeals tend to boost feelings of pride, while JOMO appeals promote gratitude, both of which result in a higher likelihood of making a purchase. The effect of FOMO appeal on purchase intention via pride is stronger among younger consumers with high SCO. In contrast, the impact of JOMO appeal on purchase intention via gratitude is higher among older consumers with low SCO.

Understanding the nuances of different advertising appeals and their effect on consumer emotions (e.g. pride and gratitude) and purchase intention can inform marketers and advertising agencies in crafting more targeted and effective advertising campaigns that resonate with diverse consumer segments.

This study adds to the consumer emotion literature and generational research by emphasizing the role of emotions and age in shaping consumer responses to advertisements.