Abstract

This study explored how dating app use relates to young adults’ concern about intimacy in relationship. It is highlighted one specific form of unease- fear of exclusion- as a central example. Using purposive sampling a sample of eighty young people (40 male and 40 female) were selected. Fear of missing out scale developed by Andrew K. Przybylski et al. (2013) and Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS), developed by Descutner and Thelen (1991) were used. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and Fear of Intimacy. The results revealed a significant positive correlation, indicating that higher levels of FOMO are associated with higher levels of Fear of Intimacy. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA was conducted to examine whether FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and Fear of Emotional Attachment differ by gender. The results showed no significant differences, meaning that levels of FOMO and Fear of Emotional Attachment were statistically similar across genders. This result concluded that people who worry more about missing out on social experiences are also more likely to feel anxious or uncomfortable about emotional closeness in relationships. Both men and women tend to experience FOMO and Fear of Emotional Attachment at comparable levels, without notable differences between them.