FOMO: a hazard or an opportunity, its impact on Fashion Buying, with the Mediating effect of anxiety and the role of Conspicuous sharing

FOMO and Fashion Buying

Abstract

The growing use of technology in various fields has transformed the way people communicate with each other. This engagement has resulted in different psychological issues, the most common among which is FOMO and the resulting anxiety. This study tries to investigate the psychological effect of FOMO, anxiety, and Conspicuous sharing and consumers’ responses to gratify these effects in the Fashion industry. An empirical study was conducted by distributing 220 questionnaires to Generation Z in Karachi, Pakistan. Smart PLS was used to conduct structural equation modeling. Findings reveal that Anxiety positively significantly impacts the effect of FOMO on the buying behavior of fashion products. It further concludes that conspicuous sharing also significantly influences buying fashion products. By elaborating on the underlying psychological factors of social media use, its negativity, and its impact on consumer behavior, this study can help marketers and the fashion industry to find positive and sustainable ways of attracting their consumers and avoid negative strategies that can successfully contribute to social well-being as well.