The Fear of Missing Out

Our brains are hardwired towards social interaction and a sense of belonging. We receive a benefit or gain from socialising which in turn creates the idea of loss when we aren't socialising. Social media has been a large focus amongst psychologists who've been investigating FOMO for many obvious reasons. As people consume large amounts of social media posts, they start to compare themselves not only physically as we would traditionally think but also socially. So if you're already feeling insecure or insignificant, social media is kind of like the fuel on the pre-existing fire.