The Mediating Role of Commercial FOMO Between Adolescents’ Need to Belong and Psychological Distress: Advertising Implications on Mental Health

The present study was designed to investigate the impact of advertising on adolescents’ mental health. To achieve this, we sought to test the mediating effect of commercial fear of missing out (FOMO) related to gadgets and clothing items on the relationship between the need to belong and psychological distress. The research was conducted on a sample of 335 Romanian adolescents (54.9% female, 45.1% male), aged between 14 and 19 years old (M = 17.76; SD = 1.57). They filled out questionnaires that measured FOMO related to gadgets and clothing items, psychological distress, need to belong, and some socio-demographic data. The findings underscored the direct association between the need to belong and psychological distress, as well as the mediating effect of FOMO related to gadgets and clothing on this relationship. This study contributes to advancing understanding of the connections between commercial FOMO associated with gadgets and clothing, psychological distress, and the need to belong, while highlighting the negative impacts of advertising on adolescent mental health. Theoretical and practical implications of the current study are discussed.