What is FOODMO? A New Study Explains the Effects On Social Media Users

If you're worried about missing out on the latest food trend, then you might be experiencing this new form of FOMO.

Catching a case of FOMO ("fear of missing out") is all too easy to experience when you're constantly scrolling through social media. Whether it comes from seeing your friend’s tropical vacation posts or videos of a concert you're missing out on because you couldn't score tickets (ahem, The Eras Tour), it's not uncommon to feel like you're missing out from time to time. But can you also get FOMO when it comes to food? Apparently, yes—it's now known as FOODMO, or a "fear of missing out on food trends," and many social media users admit that it happens to them—a lot.

Related: The Top TikTok Food Trends of 2022

A recent study conducted by One Poll on Behalf of Envy Apples got responses from 2,000 social media users and found that three in four Americans experience food-related FOMO.

The average respondent admitted they spend at least four hours a day on social media, and food-related content comes across their feed at least seven times a day. In turn, a majority of social media users follow at least 10 food-related accounts.

The study also concluded that social media strongly influences the recipes people choose to make, with 75% of Americans craving food they see online instantly.

Think back to the days of quarantine when viral recipes were somewhat of a way to connect with the outside world. No one could avoid whipped coffee, and if you weren't baking your own sourdough, you truly felt left out. The same can be said for today’s TikTok famous recipes like the dirty martini pasta, pancake cereal, or lemon sea salt popcorn.

Social media recipes are like a never-ending cookbook—so it’s no surprise that the urge to recreate trending recipes drives 57% of Americans to try at least four online recipes each month. Another 73% said they dedicate extra time into their food presentation for posting on social media.

Some respondents from the survey (a whopping 67% of them) said they would want to be a snack influencer if they got the chance—a true dream come true for a foodie—and the main way to be a good influencer is to never miss out on those new food trends. However, that's almost impossible to do without being chronically online. So, if you're feeling overwhelmed with all that's out there, just know you can always pull out your favorite physical cookbook or grandmother's handwritten recipes for reliable, old-fashioned inspiration.

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