Interaction of Internet Addiction with FoMO: The Role of Digital Media

Introduction

The impact of communication on individuals and the masses is enormous. The changing nature of digital media over time and with the advancement of technology also changes the meaning and power of influence of communication. In this process, we saw that communication transforms both individual and social structure along with digital media again. However, considering that individuals live and even socialize in society through communication, digital media brings with it sufficient opportunities for this. Within these possibilities, the content expands, and the effect of communication is emerging more through new and digital channels. With the interactivity feature of the new technology, digital media brings new concepts with it.

Even though digital media turns the world into a village on the axis of globalization, new concepts become a part of life in this process. New concepts such as digital citizenship, digital identity, Internet addiction, and FoMO (fear of missing out) has emerged that form the framework of this article. To understand these conceptualizations, socialization, which is one of the most basic needs of the individual, should transfer to a new field with digital media. Digitalization has coexisted with the Internet and become a part of daily life.

Considering today, we cannot ignore the conveniences, and advantages that the Internet has provided to people. Internet occupies a very important place in human life and its place in daily life is increasing day by day. However, because of this situation, it may cause some negative outcomes both at the individual and social degree. The negative situations that Internet causes within individuals are briefly: continuously using the Internet, not being able to enjoy life without the Internet, constantly monitoring digital media accounts, and because of these situations, there are disruptions in the person flow’s normal life.

Addiction, one of the most natural consequences of digitalization, relates not only to the Internet and affects the daily life of the individual. But also, there is an order in which people are always in with their digital identity and inevitably always follow it. Digital identity, a natural outcome of digitalization, inevitably pushes people to a position in which people monitor constantly. In Internet addiction, the individual distances themselves from everything and exists with their digital identity only.

Here, the major factor that creates the breaking point is the Internet which enables digital media and digital sharing networks to come to light. Internet addiction has emerged as an additional problem with the Internet itself. The desire and necessity of socialization, which is an important part of human nature, has created an unfamiliar environment, virtualization, with digital media applications and increased the individual’s level of dependence on digital platforms. The inability of the individual to manage a time without the Internet within this new structure creates a feeling of deprivation and fear of missing out. Thus, the Internet creates a new functioning structure and a new world for the individual through addictions, together with digital media. In this new world, an individual exists both through digital citizenship and digital identity. A different addiction brought about by the Internet causes FoMO (fear of missing out), which is a new concept in the literature.

To understand FoMO, namely the fear of missing out, it is necessary to understand the basis of this fear, namely the Internet and digitalization. As the Internet causes new addiction forms, we should also understand the relationship of Internet addiction with digital citizenship and digital identity. From this point of view, we will examine the major reasons for the appearance of this new addiction form in the article. The prevalence of Internet addiction plays an important role in the formation of the contemporary order, digital media, digital citizenship, and identity. The individual now becomes a part of this environment even to socialize, and in the conditions, we left them out, the fear of missing out shapes them.