International Journal Administration, Business & Organization
Vol 7 No 1 (2026): IJABO

The Dark Side of Digital Consumption: A Phenomenological Study of Consumer Anxiety Over Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in Impulsive Purchasing Behaviour in Response to Digital Advertising

Rundika Pratiwi, Endah (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
29 Apr 2026

Abstract

Digital consumption is now an important part of everyday life, and it has significant emotional and psychological effects on users. The purpose of this study is to explore consumers' subjective experiences with social media advertising pressure, particularly in relation to the phenomena of anxiety and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), which drive impulsive purchasing behaviour. This study focuses on the depth of individual experiences when exposed to powerful advertising algorithms. This is done using a qualitative phenomenological approach. The results show that digital advertising on social media presents an ideal lifestyle that creates constant social pressure rather than simply marketing messages. The fear of being left behind by trends or other people's experiences (FOMO) is a cause of consumer anxiety, which drives them to make impulsive purchases. The results indicate that digital consumption behaviour is more influenced by communicative experiences and social constructs than by rational economic actions. Theoretically, this study enriches marketing communication research by providing a critical perspective on the dark side of digital consumption through a phenomenological lens.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijabo

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Environmental Science Social Sciences

Description

International Journal Administration Business and Organization (IJABO) is an international peer-reviewed scientific journal with open access, publishing high quality conceptual and measure development articles in the areas of management, business administration, and related disciplines. IJABO ...