TikTok narratives of global social anxieties: FoMO, FoBO and fear of being seen

Fear of missing out (FoMO) has become a widely recognized term, or rather, an extremely popular hashtag, within digital ecosystems and beyond. Young people primarily use FoMO to describe the anxiety of being left out. Few studies, particularly in psychology, have examined this form of anxiety, and even fewer sociological studies have analyzed it as a social phenomenon. The narrative, the storytelling, and the way this anxiety is conveyed on social media, especially on TikTok, can be highly relevant for understanding young people. This article explores, within the TikTok landscape, the narratives and representations of these anxieties that have gone viral on social platforms. What imagery surrounds these social anxieties, and, above all, what are the socially shared symptoms of FoMO, FoBO, and Fear of Being Seen? Through digital ethnography on TikTok, using hashtags such as FoMO and related terms, it was possible to map and interpret the characteristics of these Global Social Anxieties. TikTok was selected as the focus of analysis because it is the primary site where FOMO related narratives are actively produced and circulated. Its algorithmic design, which prioritizes engagement and performative content, further facilitated the identification and selection of relevant videos for this study. The study takes an exploratory approach to the phenomenon. Notably, there appear to be no differences in terms of location or language: videos produced by Italian creators are essentially identical to those in English, Spanish, and other languages. This phenomenon requires serious attention, as it represents a socially shared emotional state, particularly at the global level.