FoMO Style and Users’ Responses to Viral Culinary Content on TikTok: A Netnographic Study in Medan City

Akbar Aldi Kautsar (Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara)
Anang Anaz Azhar (Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara)
Elfi Yanti Ritonga (Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara)

Journal of General Education and Humanities
Vol. 5 No. 4 (2026): August

This study aims to examine how TikTok users interpret viral culinary tourism information and how FoMO Style shapes participation in culinary tourism experiences in Medan City, Indonesia. Employing a qualitative netnographic approach, this study explores digital interactions, meaning construction, and behavioral patterns within the TikTok ecosystem. Data were collected from June to November 2026 through digital observation of viral culinary content, semi-structured interviews with 10 purposively selected TikTok users, and supporting interviews with culinary content creators and business owners as contextual informants. The digital corpus consisted of four viral culinary TikTok videos from two creator accounts, including comments, captions, hashtags, audience interactions, and archived digital documentation. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework and interpreted through Media System Dependency Theory and FoMO Style perspectives. The findings reveal that TikTok functions as a digital information environment where culinary tourism meanings are constructed through algorithmic exposure, social validation, creator credibility, and personal evaluation. Repeated FYP exposure increases users’ awareness and curiosity, while comments, likes, shares, and creator recommendations influence credibility assessment. However, viral popularity does not automatically determine culinary value, as users continue to consider taste, price, accessibility, service quality, and actual experiences. FoMO Style emerges as a social mechanism encouraging participation through trend awareness, digital belonging, identity expression, and engagement with shared online experiences. Nevertheless, users also demonstrate skepticism, avoid overcrowded destinations, prioritize quality, or visit without producing digital content. This study extends Media System Dependency Theory by showing that TikTok-mediated culinary tourism is shaped by the interaction of algorithmic visibility, social validation, personal interpretation, and offline experiences.