Autokreowanie wizerunku w mediach społecznościowych: o związkach między fear of missing out a narcyzmem Wprowadzenie

This article tries to explore whether people with high levels of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) exhibit narcissistic behavioural patterns when using social media. Selected activities are analysed, in particular those related to the self-creation of one’s own image. The analysis includes the results of nationwide representative studies on FOMO among Polish Internet users aged 15 or older (data as of 2018). People with FOMO exhibit behaviours typical of digital narcissism more intensively compared to general population. This applies both to standard activities (such as writing posts, likes, sharing, tagging, commenting and reviewing) and self-awareness in creating one’s image online. People with FOMO confirm the aforementioned observations as true more frequently, even when they are asked about less comfortable topics, such as lying. Those with high levels of FOMO more often exhibit narcissistic behaviours online, focusing more on activities aimed at creating and promoting their digital image. The text makes a tentative assumption that intentional self-creation in social media – a strict selection of the content that is to be shared – is associated with a strong need for approval, a sense of belonging and self-esteem, i.e. desires that constitute the common denominator for grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. For this reason, it is worth considering whether narcissism, particularly digital narcissism, and FOMO are connected with the culture of anxiety characteristic of modern times.