🎣 Opening

Hello, and welcome to The Southeast Asia Desk Weekly Dispatch Podcast.

I’m Akasha Viandri. This is where we slow down the headlines and make sense of the stories shaping our region.

In this episode, we’re going to talk about FOMO.

I believe most of you already know this word.

But just in case, FOMO stands for Fear of Missing Out.

Basically, it’s a feeling of fear.

The fear of being left behind in experiences, information, or moments that others seem to be enjoying.

And I’m pretty sure you’ve experienced FOMO at least once in your life.

According to Dentsu’s APAC Consumer Navigator Q2 2025, more than 60 percent of Southeast Asian Gen Zs admit they feel pressured to keep up with online trends,

even when those trends don’t resonate with them personally.

Yet you still do it.

Why?

Because you’re afraid of missing the visibility and the validation that come with it.

🤔What is FOMO?

For example, you buy the orange iPhone 17 because it is cute and everywhere on social media.

Another example: you don’t actually want to attend a concert this weekend, but you still buy a ticket because everyone else will be there and you don’t want to miss the hype.

Last one, you buy Labubu, simply because Lisa from BLACKPINK has one

And everyone is chasing it

Don’t get me wrong, you can buy whatever you want, do whatever you want to do.

But the core of FOMO isn’t about the purchase itself.

It’s about the fear that quietly pushes you away from asking whether something actually matters to you.

😰 Scrolling and FOMO

So how does this happen?

There are many factors behind FOMO, but one stands out clearly: social media.

Algorithms now quietly influence how people dress, talk, and even how they think.

People want to be present on these platforms.

And whether they’re aware of it or not, they follow patterns that slowly turn into trends.

According to research by Meltwater and We Are Social in 2024, globally, people spend an average of 3 hours and 45 minutes daily on the internet via their mobile phones.

Meanwhile, for social media users in Southeast Asia far exceeds this average, like:

The Philippines is 5 hours and 30 minutes

Thailand 4 hours and 56 minutes

Malaysia 4 hours and 39 minutes

and Indonesia 4 hours and 32 minutes

UC Davis Health in Sacramento, California, said that the more you use social media, the more it can increase your dissatisfaction with your day-to-day life.

This can impact self-esteem; that’s where FOMO comes in, because you think your friends and strangers are having more fun or living better lives than you are.

And this makes people constantly on social media, following trends, so they don’t miss out on what’s happening.

💸 FOMO Is Good… for Brands

For brands, this opens endless entry points for engagement.

Every moment becomes a potential connection.

Take the Philippines, for example.

Digital bank Maya launched a campaign redefining the black card, with a bold message about access and inclusion.

Or look at Coldplay’s tour, including several cities in Southeast Asia.

The tour was widely recognised for its sustainability, with stages built from lightweight, low-carbon, reusable materials, including recycled steel that could be reused or recycled after the tour.

In 2024, the Tourism Authority of Thailand collaborated with Pop Mart

for “Labubu Travels Thailand”, bringing a life-sized Labubu mascot to Bangkok

to explore landmarks and local culture.

Are these bad?

No. You can absolutely have them or be at those events; some even carry meaningful messages.

The stronger the FOMO, the higher the engagement.

In fact, they benefit from it.

But ask yourself, do you really need that?

The real impact is felt by you, and often by the people around you.

Because FOMO can lead to anything, including impulsive buying.

👀FOMO Is Bad, If…

So maybe you don’t really need the orange iPhone.

Maybe you could skip that concert weekend.

Maybe you don’t even like Labubu.

Maybe you are doing it for visibility and validation.

“But everyone needs visibility and validation!”

Yeah, you are right, and that’s normal.

But it becomes a problem when validation replaces identity.

Forbes reported that around 40 percent of millennials said social media caused them to spend money they didn’t actually have.

In Indonesia, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) received more than 18,000 complaints about illegal online loans by the end of the year. Nearly 74 percent of those cases involved young people aged 16 to 35.

And they say one reason is FOMO.

This is where FOMO leads not to fulfillment, but to temporary visibility and validation, and a long journey of debt.

🎙️ The Wrap

FOMO can be useful, in small doses.

It can motivate people to connect, to try new experiences,

to stay informed, or even to push themselves academically.

Maybe people around you are pursuing a master’s degree, you feel a bit of FOMO,

and that motivates you to pursue one too.

But FOMO becomes harmful when it becomes excessive, leading to stress, dissatisfaction, and an inability to enjoy the present moment.

So the key is simple:

Be enough.

Be mindful.

Don’t live only for the lens, live for the moment.

I’m Akasha Viandri, and this has been The Southeast Asia Desk Weekly Dispatch Podcast.

Where we slow down the noise and follow the region’s compass.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter at thesoutheastasiadesk.com,

and join us again next weekend for stories to linger over, one weekend at a time.

(AKS/RHZ/QOB)

S26E02 -FOMO in Southeast Asia: Afraid to…