People who experience intense anxiety about missing out on social events show specific brain activity patterns when receiving digital approval. A recent experiment found that individuals with a high fear of missing out exhibit heightened neural sensitivity to positive social feedback in the form of digital thumbs-up icons. The study was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The fear of missing out, often abbreviated as FoMO, is a pervasive sense of unease that others are enjoying rewarding experiences without you. Psychologists link this specific anxiety to a fundamental human necessity known as the need to belong. When individuals feel disconnected or unsupported in their physical lives, they frequently turn to their smartphones to monitor the social activities of their peers. This pursuit of digital connection serves as a coping mechanism to alleviate feelings of isolation. Social media platforms are systematically built to capitalize on these basic psychological needs. They deliver immediate social rewards, such as likes and positive comments, which provide a temporary sense of inclusion. Over time, repeated exposure to these digital validations …