A new research from Groupon Malaysia has found that FOMO, the social phenomenon that has taken over the online world, affects nearly half the nation with 47% of Malaysians experiencing it. Interestingly, Malaysia had the second highest FOMO rate in the region, ahead of Singapore who had the lowest FOMO rate. Could it be that Malaysians have become more kiasu than their Singaporean neighbours?
Otherwise known as the Fear of Missing Out, #FOMO is a form of social anxiety where one is compulsively concerned about missing out on key social interactions, new experiences or simply something great. The main cause of FOMO amongst Malaysians is hearing friends and family talk about their own experiences (43%), significantly higher than seeing pictures from friends and family on social media (25%). With our social circle constantly discussing their latest escapades and posting food as well as travel photos on social media, it is apparent why Malaysians are acutely aware of what they’re missing out on.
So, why don’t they participate? 38% of Malaysians highlighted lack of funds, while 29% quoted a lack of spare time. At the top of most Malaysians’ bucket lists for 2014 is to explore their own local backyard (72%). The study also revealed that Malaysians are the highest advocates of exploring their own city, compared with the rest of the Asia Pacific nations, who would prefer to go out of their cities. Perhaps, Malaysians are happy to make the most out of their environment.
Next on that list is international travel (50%) and domestic travelling coming in third at 47%. It doesn’t matter whether it’s hitting up local spots or travelling overseas as Malaysians just want to explore. When it comes to travelling on home turf, Malaysians identified Langkawi, Penang and Cameron Highlands as their top three destinations before January comes around.
Based on this survey, Groupon.my has curated a list of Sweet September deals to help Malaysians with #FOMO. Click on this link to begin deal-hunting now – http://gr.pn/SweetSept_FOMO! 😉
