Literature Review
The literature review played an important role in shaping the direction of this research. It helped build a deeper understanding of related themes and informed the development of key ideas throughout the project. Here, you can see a highlight of some of the studies that supported and influenced this work.
Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out
Summary: This paper was one of the first to define FoMO and develop a scale to measure it. Across three studies, it shows that lower satisfaction of psychological needs is linked to higher FoMO, which is associated with increased and emotionally conflicted social media use, especially among young adults.
Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841–184
Key Takeaway:
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“Defined as a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, FoMO is characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing.”
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Students high in FoMO report mixed emotional experiences when using social media, feeling both pleasure and distress at the same time.
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Social media is often used to cope with boredom, loneliness, and dissatisfaction, which makes emotionally driven design features highly influential in how people engage.
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Those who experienced higher levels of FoMO also tended to report lower overall levels of life satisfaction
Combating Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on Social Media: The FoMO-R Method
Summary: This paper introduces five classifications of FoMO as lived experiences and develops an ecology that describes its complex dynamics. It highlights the interaction between personal, social, and technical factors and how these contribute to the feelings of FoMO, while emphasizing the need for design interventions in social media platforms to help users manage and reduce FoMO.
Alutaybi, A., McAlaney, J., Arden-Close, E., Stefanidis, A., Phalp, K., & Ali, R. (2019). Fear of missing out (FoMO) as really lived: Five classifications and one ecology. 2019 International Conference on Behavioral, Economic, and Socio-Cultural Computing (BESC), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/BESC48373.2019.8963027
Key Takeaway:
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When Fear of Missing Out Becomes a Good Thing
Summary: This paper investigates the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) among Indonesian college students using smartphones and examines its impact on academic life. Using the Indigenous Psychology approach, it identifies FoMO triggers in personal life, news, and academic responsibilities, and finds that, under certain conditions, FoMO can serve as a motivation to improve academic performance by encouraging students to take action to catch up on missed information.
Nursodiq, F., Andayani, T. R., & Supratiwi, M. (2020). When Fear of Missing Out becomes a good thing. Proceedings of the International Conference on Community Development (ICCD 2020), 477, 254–259. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201017.056
Key Takeaway:
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FoMO can motivate students to actively seek out academic information they missed, turning anxiety into a positive action.
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FoMO can lead to compulsive social media use, but it also can encourage proactive information gathering, particularly in academic contexts.
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Personal life, news, and academic tasks are major categories triggering FoMO among college students.
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Friends, public figures, family, and co-workers are key figures causing FoMO in college students.
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Actions taken during FoMO include browsing for information and communicating with others.
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Three Phases of Experiencing FoMO:
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Events which cause FoMO
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Feelings on experiencing FoMO
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Actions taken when experiencing FoMO
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Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): The Effects of the Need to Belong, Perceived Centrality, and Fear of Social Exclusion
Summary: This study explores the relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), the need to belong, perceived group centrality, and fear of social exclusion, using a sample of 490 college students. It highlights that the need to belong is the strongest predictor of FOMO, and social media use mediates this relationship. While perceived centrality and fear of social exclusion were examined, they did not significantly predict FOMO.
Alabri, A. (2022). Fear of missing out (FOMO): The effects of the need to belong, perceived centrality, and fear of social exclusion. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2022, Article ID 4824256. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4824256
Key Takeaway:
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The need to belong is the strongest predictor of FOMO, accounting for more than 44% of the explained variance.
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Social media use mediates the relationship between the need to belong and FOMO, showing that higher need to belong leads to more social media use and higher FOMO.
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Females reported higher need to belong, more social media use, and higher FOMO compared to males.
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Social media platforms provide rewarding experiences that contribute to social comparison anxieties, which are often experienced as FOMO.
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Awareness and education on the effects of social media and FOMO are suggested to help users understand and manage their experiences.
Creating Content
That Influences People: Considering User Experience and Behavioral Design in Technical Communication
Summary: This paper examines how user experience (UX) design and behavioral design intersect in technical communication, emphasizing the use of cognitive biases to nudge user behavior. It presents the CHOICES framework, which incorporates Context, Habits, Other people, Incentives, Congruence, Emotions, and Salience to influence decision-making and user behavior in digital environments, and discusses ethical implications of using these techniques.
Verhulsdonck, G., & Shalamova, N. (2020). Creating content that influences people: Considering user experience and behavioral design in technical communication. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 50(4), 376–400. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047281619880286
Key Takeaway:
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User experience (UX) design goes beyond just usability, encompassing the full range of user emotions, behaviors, and perceptions during interactions.
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UX designers often employ behavioral design to engage distracted users by leveraging cognitive biases and nudges.
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Digital nudges are used to influence user decisions and behaviors subtly, such as personalized reminders or pre-set options in apps.
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Behavioral design can be both beneficial and harmful, depending on whether it’s used to empower users or to push them toward actions that only benefit the business.
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Ethical concerns arise when designers use nudges to trick or pressure users, a practice sometimes referred to as “dark patterns.”
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Educators should teach technical communication students to recognize and apply behavioral design principles responsibly, particularly by highlighting how design choices influence user behavior.
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The cognitive miser bias explains why users tend to follow the easiest path or make decisions with the least mental effort, which can be manipulated in app and website design.
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UX design often relies on the peak-end bias, where users remember only the most intense emotional point and the end of an experience, influencing overall satisfaction.
Emotionally Intelligent User Interfaces of Social Media: The Role of Emotional Intelligence in User Interface Design and UX Pattern of Social Media on Human Behaviour
Summary: This paper explores the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in social media user interface (UI) design and how it affects human behavior. It introduces the concept of Emotionally Intelligent User Interfaces (EIUI) that use design elements to respond to users' emotional states and enhance engagement. The paper highlights the dual potential of EIUI to foster positive user experiences or lead to negative outcomes like addiction or anxiety, depending on how they are applied.
Chowdhury Primon, M. A. (2024). Emotionally intelligent user interfaces of social media: The role of emotional intelligence in user interface design and UX pattern of social media on human behaviour. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.17632.08964
Key Takeaway:
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Emotional intelligence in user interface design can create engaging interactions by simulating emotional responses and personalizing user experiences.
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Social media platforms use sentiment analysis tools and emotion detection technologies to monitor user emotions and adjust content to match users' emotional states.
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Dark patterns of emotional intelligence in UI design can manipulate user decisions and encourage addictive behaviors.
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Positive emotional design patterns can enhance user satisfaction, comfort, and engagement, promoting prolonged interaction and stronger user connections.
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Designing emotionally resonant UIs can lead to users experiencing synchronized emotional responses, creating shared emotional connections within online communities.
Emotional Design in Digital User Experience
Summary: This paper explores how emotional design in digital user experience (UX) can positively influence users' interactions with products by evoking emotions. It highlights the importance of incorporating emotional well-being, inclusivity, and gender equality into design strategies and introduces models and methods such as Don Norman’s three levels of emotional design, Kansei Engineering, and the Four Pleasures framework to guide the development of emotionally resonant digital products.
Radovanovic, T., & Kovacevic, D. (2022). Emotional design in digital user experience. Conference Paper. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/389126881
Key Takeaway:
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Don Norman’s model includes three levels: visceral (first impressions), behavioral (usability and pleasure), and reflective (self-image and meaning).
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The Four Pleasures model focuses on physiological, social, psychological, and ideological aspects of user experience.
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Kansei Engineering harmonizes knowledge, emotion, and passion to design products that connect with users' emotions.
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Emotional design can improve inclusivity, gender equality, and well-being by creating user-centered digital experiences.
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Mass personalization techniques based on AI and big data can adjust digital products to individual user preferences, but aggressive use may backfire by making users uncomfortable.
Dark Patterns: Social Media, Gaming, and E-Commerce
Summary: This paper examines how dark patterns, which are deceptive and manipulative design strategies, are used in social media, gaming, and e-commerce platforms. It explores how these dark patterns exploit psychological triggers to push users into behaviors that benefit platform owners, such as data sharing, excessive spending, or prolonged engagement. The paper also highlights the ethical implications of these practices and suggests the need for regulations and user awareness to minimize their impact.
Karagoel, I., & Nathan-Roberts, D. (2021). Dark patterns: Social media, gaming, and e-commerce. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 65(1), 752-756. https://doi.org/10.1177/1071181321651317
Key Takeaway:
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Emotional design patterns contribute to synchronized emotional responses among users in online communities, creating shared highs or lows based on collective interactions.
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Emotionally intelligent UI patterns can trigger an addictive loop of seeking positive feedback or validation through interactions like likes and comments.
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Sentiment analysis and emotion detection systems may result in biased or incomplete interpretations of user emotions, leading to misaligned content delivery.
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Social media platforms use microinteractions, such as reaction emojis or animations, to simulate human-like emotional feedback and create a more engaging experience.
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The paper highlights the risk of using emotionally driven design elements to nudge users into decisions they might not make otherwise, often serving platform engagement goals.
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AI-driven personalization combined with emotional intelligence techniques allows social media platforms to tailor content to individual emotional profiles, increasing platform stickiness.
Loneliness, Isolation, and Social Support Factors in Post-COVID-19 Mental Health
Summary: This paper examines the impacts of loneliness, isolation, and social support on mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how social distancing and isolation have exacerbated mental health challenges, while social support has been identified as a key factor in promoting resilience and recovery. The paper suggests leveraging technology and social media to maintain social connections and support mental health during times of crisis.
Saltzman, L. Y., Hansel, T. C., & Bordnick, P. S. (2020). Loneliness, isolation, and social support factors in post-COVID-19 mental health. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(S1), S55–S57. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000703
Key Takeaway:
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Technology and social media can bridge geographical barriers, allowing users to maintain meaningful relationships even during times of physical isolation.
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Online communities and social media provide platforms for individuals to share experiences, exchange support, and feel validated, which can help alleviate feelings of isolation.
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Social support is crucial for mental health recovery after disasters, including COVID-19, as it can help reduce loneliness and promote resilience.
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Technology and social media can provide alternative forms of social support to buffer against the negative effects of isolation.
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Promoting self-care and awareness of social support resources through digital platforms can improve mental health resilience during and after crises.
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Community-based interventions, including social media and digital tools, are recommended to foster connectedness and mitigate loneliness.
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Digital platforms can host virtual events, support groups, and activities that simulate social engagement and encourage positive coping mechanisms.
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The use of social media during times of crisis can promote a sense of solidarity and collective identity, which may strengthen mental health outcomes.
Effective use of social media platforms for promotion of mental health awareness
Summary: This paper evaluates the effectiveness of social media platforms in promoting mental health awareness through three major campaigns: Buddies for Suicide Prevention, #Iquittobacco, and #Migrainethepainfultruth. The study highlights how Facebook and Instagram served as effective platforms to reach a large number of people, enhance engagement, and promote positive mental health messaging. The findings emphasize the value of social media as a tool for disseminating mental health information and reducing stigma.
Latha, K., Meena, K. S., Pravitha, M. R., Dasgupta, M., & Chaturvedi, S. K. (2020). Effective use of social media platforms for promotion of mental health awareness. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 9, 124. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_90_20
Key Takeaway:
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Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram facilitated mental health campaigns that reached thousands of users and promoted public engagement.
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Social media platforms enabled wide dissemination of mental health messages, overcoming barriers of distance and physical interaction.
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The campaigns demonstrated the potential of digital platforms to increase mental health awareness and encourage public participation.
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Social media was identified as a cost-effective and accessible method to promote mental health education and awareness.
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The authors acknowledge the challenge of information credibility and caution that social media users may be misled by unverified content, indicating the need for careful evaluation and regulation of health information shared on these platforms.
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It is suggested that a balanced approach is needed, combining the positives of reach, accessibility, and engagement with efforts to address misinformation, privacy concerns, and limitations of purely digital interventions.