Psychological orientations of FOMO and JOMO in the digital age

Digital technologies and social media have become an essential part of everyday life, providing people with an easy way to connect, obtain information, and interact with others at all times. Despite its great advantages, social media also creates psychological issues such as constant social comparison and feeling pressure from looking at others’ social lives (Talwar et al., 2023). In this context, one of the most talked about phenomena is FOMO, or fear of missing out, which is anxiety resulting from the perception that others are enjoying fulfilling experiences without one’s involvement (Hafizh et al., 2024). FOMO is now a significant area of psychological research, and it has become particularly evident as more and more people use social media. More recently, as a counterpoint to FOMO, another new concept called JOMO or joy of missing out was introduced and popularized by tech entrepreneur Anil Dash on his personal blog. JOMO is a positive emotional state that arises when an individual intentionally chooses not to participate in social or digital activities (Kaya et al., 2026). JOMO highlights mindfulness and autonomy, alongside positive feelings of happiness, underscoring an overall healthier relationship with technology (Zhang, 2025). People who feel or experience JOMO live their lives according to their own personal values, prioritizing their personal happiness and well-being over any type of external validation (Pabon et al., 2025). Therefore, JOMO is regarded as a protective psychological capacity that can help to protect people from the negative impacts of digital overload. However, few studies have examined FOMO and JOMO together to compare and contrast the two constructs and assess how they interact and influence well-being and performance (Eitan & Naor, 2025). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide a basic understanding of how FOMO and JOMO operate as opposing psychological orientations in the digital environment.