FACTORS TRIGGERING FEAR OF MISSING OUT IN CONSUMERS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON PURCHASING BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Today, the development of mass media has caused people to spend a lot of time on social networks, while it has also led to an increase or formation of the fear of missing, which is a kind of psychological anxiety called FoMO (Fear of Missing Out). This fear directly or indirectly affects human behavior.The marketing world has begun to examine the effects of FoMO on purchasing behaviors. In this study, the determination of the factors that activate or increase this anxiety and their effects on purchasing behaviors in individuals with FoMO have been investigated with a qualitative method. It has been interviewed with 41 participants face-to-face by using the purposive sampling method and in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 participants who were determined to have FoMO by asking questions on the FoMO scale. Certain themes such as the need to belong, conspicuous consumption and the perception of scarcity emerged from the data analyzed descriptively.It has been understood that these themes increase or trigger FoMO in individuals and positively affect their purchase intentions.It is thought and recommended that businesses should carry out the marketing messages they want to convey to their target audiences in order to increase their sales, taking these facts into account.