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Fear of missing out (FoMO) among undergraduate students in relation to attention distraction and learning disengagement in lectures

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the level of a relatively new phenomenon, fear of missing out or FoMO, demonstrated by smartphone use during lectures among 2084 undergraduate students at Kuwait University. Fear of missing out describes the situation where a student cannot resist using their smartphone during lectures because of their desire not to miss anything that is happening, especially on social media. The study also sought to investigate whether fear of missing out was a predictor for attention distraction and learning disengagement among the students. It used a descriptive survey involving three scales: an attention distraction scale, a learning disengagement scale, and a fear of missing out scale. The level of fear of missing out among students was high and was strongly correlated with both attention distraction and learning disengagement. No significant correlation was found between fear of missing out and students’ academic background. These results suggest some practical policies for higher education faculty members to use to lessen the negative outcomes of smartphone use and promote responsible use of smartphones in the classroom.

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  1. Faculty of Education, Kuwait University, Kuwait, State of Kuwait

    Suad A. A. Al-Furaih & Hamed M. Al-Awidi

  2. Faculty of Educational Sciences, Middle East University, Amman, Jordan

    Hamed M. Al-Awidi

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  1. Suad A. A. Al-Furaih
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Correspondence to Suad A. A. Al-Furaih.

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Appendix

Appendix

The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) scale.

1. I fear others have more rewarding experiences than me.

2. I get anxious when I don’t know what my friends are up to.

3. When I go on vacation, I continue to keep tabs on what my friends are doing.

4. I get worried when I find out my friends are having fun without me.

5. It is important that I understand my friends “in jokes”.

6. I fear my friends have more rewarding experiences than me.

7. Sometimes, I wonder if I spend too much keeping up with what is going on

8. When I miss out on a planned get-together it bothers me.

9. When I go on vacation, I continue to keep tabs on what my friends are doing.

10. It bothers me when I miss an opportunity to meet up with friends.

The attention distraction scale.

1. I feel I am not capable of remembering information submitted by the instructor because of my use of a smartphone in class.

2. The level of my performance in the tasks required by the instructor is negatively affected because of my use of a smartphone in class.

3. I face difficulties in understanding the content of lectures because of my use of a smartphone in class.

4. I feel upset when I miss an important note from the instructor because of my use of a smartphone in class.

5. My university grades were lower because of my classroom use of smartphones.

6. I face difficulties in performing the required homework because of my use of a smartphone in class.

The learning disengagement scale.

1. I use my smartphone in class when the lecture is boring.

2. I use my smartphone in class when the instructor is unable to motivate me to engage with the lecture content.

3. My learning ability is negatively affected when I sit next to students who use their smartphones in class.

4. Using a smartphone in class causes my mind to wander.

5. I feel upset when the instructor loses his or her ability to concentrate because of my use of a smartphone in class.

6. I use my smartphone in class if I am notified about a message.

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Al-Furaih, S.A.A., Al-Awidi, H.M. Fear of missing out (FoMO) among undergraduate students in relation to attention distraction and learning disengagement in lectures. Educ Inf Technol 26, 2355–2373 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10361-7

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