Who is Missing Out? Social Media-Driven FOMO and Fashion Purchase Intentions.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of social media-driven Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on fashion purchase intentions among Sri Lankan consumers, with a comparative focus on Generation Z and Generation Y. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, with primary data collected via an online survey targeting active social media users with recent fashion purchase experience. A total of 202 valid responses were analysed using SPSS, including Pearson correlation and independent sample t-tests. The analysis reveals significant positive relationships between all three constructs: social media usage, FOMO and fashion purchase intention. FOMO emerges as an important psychological factor associated with the relationship between social media usage and fashion purchase intention. The generational comparison indicates that Generation Z reported significantly higher levels of FOMO and fashion purchase intention, though both cohorts exhibited similar social media usage intensity. Separate correlation analyses conducted for each cohort revealed two distinct behavioural pathways: Generation Z's purchasing is predominantly driven via a FOMO-influenced indirect pathway, while Generation Y demonstrates a stronger direct relationship between social media exposure and fashion purchasing. This study extends FOMO-related consumer behaviour research to the underexplored Sri Lankan digital fashion context, while offering practical implications for marketers to develop tailored, generation-specific digital strategies.