What Does This Mean?
"Fear of missing out" — anxiety that other people are having a rewarding experience, getting a limited item, or accessing an opportunity you aren't, driving urgent behavior specifically to avoid being left out.
EXPLAINER
Sprouts · original source ↗
EXPLAINER
Dr Sapna Sharma · original source ↗
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REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
"The whole limited drop was engineered pure FOMO, the item wasn't even that good."
LORE & ORIGIN
Coined in the mid-2000s to describe a general social-media-era anxiety, later becoming the core psychological driver behind limited drops, sneaker releases, crypto hype cycles, gacha banners, and live-shopping urgency tactics.
EQUIVALENT CONCEPTS IN OTHER LANGUAGES
MENTIONS OVER TIME
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