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Ryan Lee

Jung Soo Lee

Writing 39C

17 October 2019

Outline

1. What is the large framework that your project is working with?

My project's overall framework addresses the issue of depression within adolescents stemming

from feelings of social isolation/ostracism due to fear of missing out. The overarching idea of

FOMO in my project is that it stems from social media use, where users feel unhappy when

seeing friends/acquaintances post. Subsequently, users increasingly become isolated from

peers/family, whose real-world connections provide the support these adolescents need to begin

with.

A. Is it socially, politically, or economically motivated?

My project is socially motivated, as it addresses the social issues of social isolation and

depression primarily through social media usage. The project will explain the correlation

between social media use and these negative feelings, and why this is a problem for society. It is

an issue that needs to be addressed because many people face this issue, and as more face it,

people become increasingly isolated from each other, creating a cycle of isolation and a lack of

social support.
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B. What specific terminology are you using that is unique to your issue? What is the

history/context behind that terminology?

Specifically, my project's unique focus is on that of FOMO-Fear of Missing Out. This term was

created in the early 2000s (sources vary on who created it), but agree that it is an acronym used

to address people's feelings of anxiety/sadness when thinking about missing out on the social

gatherings/activities of others. This feeling can be traced throughout history, but in modern

times, it is mostly facilitated through social media. Social media gives users a way to view the

fun activities/posts of friends and acquaintances, which leads to feelings of social

ostracism/depression. These feelings increasingly isolate people from their friends and family,

which worsens these feelings, as friends and family are meant to provide support to loved ones.

C. What is your thesis statement?

"Despite social media's ability to bring people closer together through constant connectivity, it

often does the opposite. facilitating feelings of depression and social isolation (FOMO); by

increasingly isolating its users from friends and family because of FOMO, contradicting the core

values society was built upon."

2. What is the core idea that you want to build up to?

My core idea is that social media's facilitation of feeling of FOMO is a cycle. By causing people

feelings of isolation and depression, people increasingly struggle to make social connections and

uphold the ones they currently have (friends and family). This prevents people from reaching out

to loved ones for support, allowing feelings of FOMO to worsen. As more people become
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vulnerable to feelings of FOMO, society as a whole becomes isolated from itself, which will

present more social issues to society in the future.

A. What is the narrative that your sources are describing in conjunction with each other?

Together, my sources address the issue of depression/isolation from FOMO within adolescents.

The research portions utilize surveys that consider age, socioeconomic background, social media

usage, friend/family relations, and overall feelings to draw a connection between social media

usage and the feelings of FOMO. Some of the sources address the issue of isolation/depression

causing adolescents to not reach out to their support groups of family and friends, which can

worsen these feelings. Some sources also mention the psychological effects of FOMO, which

include depression or symptoms of it. Symptoms often include sadness, negativity, isolation, a

desire to be connected with others, etc. Overall, the sources clearly define social media as a large

contributor to the feelings of FOMO, and illustrate the consequences of FOMO, namely being

depression and feelings of isolation from others.

B. What is the function of each section?

1. "Motivators of online vulnerability: The impact of social network site use and

FOMO"-This section's overall purpose is to prove a correlation between social media use

and FOMO. It utilizes survey studies to find the link between FOMO and social media. It

also mentions how increased FOMO leads to increased usage, supporting my idea that

FOMO worsens feelings in a cycle. I will mainly use this as evidence that there is a link

between FOMO and social media use, and as evidence of the cycle.
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2. "Following the Joneses: FOMO and conspicuous sociality"-This philosophy-based

article argues that FOMO is a result of "envy-related anxiety about...belonging." It also

discusses some of the history behind FOMO and rejects the idea that it was created in

the twenty-first century for social media exclusively. This article is useful for its idea

that FOMO deprives people of the need for relatedness, one of the three components of

the self-determination theory which forms peoples' personalities and levels of

motivation. I mostly will use this article in discussing more of the theoretical and

emotional aspects of FOMO that are not necessarily scientifically measurable.

3. "Fear of missing out: prevalence, dynamics, and consequences of experiencing

FOMO"-This article examines the short and long term effects of FOMO. It links FOMO

to the symptoms of depression and tests whether FOMO is primarily felt while doing

obligatory activities or when missing out on fun ones. It showed that FOMO is felt most

when missing on a social activity, which further proves my idea that FOMO is a cycle,

which worsens feelings as a person desires social interaction that they isolate themselves

from. This is mostly useful for further proving my statement that FOMO is a cycle that

worsens feelings and increasingly isolates people from the loved ones they need.

4. "The role of family and computer-mediated communication in adolescent

loneliness"-This article is unique, as its focuses specifically on family in relation to

FOMO. It reports that even in communicative families, loneliness can be felt because

social media use limits family interaction. It also states that families play a crucial role in

supporting adolescents, which agrees with my point that as social media users experience

FOMO, they become more isolated from their support groups. This is useful for the
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portion of my paper discussing the loss of support from loved ones, which makes FOMO

worse.

5. "Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out"-This article

focuses on how the aspect of relatedness in the self-determination theory is a key factor

in the feelings of FOMO. Lack of satisfaction in one's ability to relate to others results in

FOMO. It also reports that lower life satisfaction results in frequent social media usage,

supporting the idea that FOMO is a cycle. Though this article is not inherently unique, it

is still useful in supporting the claims my paper makes, and adds to the amount of

evidence I can use.

6. "Feel Like a Wallflower? Maybe It’s Your Facebook Wall"-This article is presented in a

narrative fashion, which uniquely contextualizes it from the perspective of a victim of

FOMO. The article specifically references social media as being cyclical in terms of it

rewarding people who post and worsening feelings of others, which supports my

argument. The article is useful to further support my argument and to contextualize my

evidence through a more human perspective, appealing to the emotions of a reader.

7. "They Left Me Out, and I Saw It All"-This is another article that narrates with a

colloquial voice, giving the issue a relatable context. It does reference that social media

use is linked to an increased likelihood of depression. Though it does not cite valuable

information, it is useful for me to contextualize FOMO for the audience, and give them a

perspective that resonates with them, allowing them to better understand my overall

argument.
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8. "How Social Isolation Is Killing Us"-The article focuses on how social isolation is a

negative effect on society as a whole. It cites data that states a correlation between social

isolation and poor health. This serves as an objective reason why social isolation

stemming from FOMO is an issue that needs to be addressed, which is the portion of my

paper that encapsulates the bigger scope of the consequences of FOMO

C. What is the conclusion that you want the reader to draw?

The overall intention of my project is to make readers draw the conclusion that social media

facilitates FOMO, which causes depression and isolation within adolescents. Because both

symptoms cause a person to withdraw from their support groups (family and friends), their

feelings become worse. As more people fall victim to FOMO, more people become increasingly

isolated from each other, posing the threat of society as a whole becoming isolated from itself.

3. In discussing your core idea, which is the most significant primary, secondary, and scholarly

source? Analyze why.

My most significant scholarly source is "Motivators of online vulnerability: The impact

of social network site use and FOMO." This article is most important because it is important in

establishing a connection between social media use and FOMO, which is critical to my paper's

thesis. In establishing this connection, research is provided as evidence to prove the link, which

is crucial for me to cite as part of my argument. It also references how increased social media

usage is correlated with high feelings of FOMO. This is important because it supports the aspect

of my paper that says that FOMO operates in a cycle: it initially makes a person feel lonely and
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somewhat depressed, which causes a person to further pursue social media in hope of feeling

better, increased usage causes a person to feel even worse and therefore continue using social

media. This peer-reviewed article is my most important because it addresses critical points of my

thesis, which gives credibility to most of my argument.

Although I do not have a primary source, my most significant secondary source is the

article "How Social Isolation Is Killing Us." This article completes the necessary support for my

thesis-the portion addressing why FOMO is an issue. The article not only contextualizes FOMO

with an anecdote, but cites data that links social isolation to an increased risk of many health

concerns, such as disrupted sleep, increased stress, accelerated cognitive decline, etc. By

including this data, my overall paper has an objective reason to argue that FOMO is an issue that

needs to be addressed-its links to negative health effects. This allows me to make a case that

FOMO is not simply a minor issue amongst young people, but that it is a phenomena with

widespread consequences to society as a whole.