Digital Aspiration or Social Anxiety?
The Accelerating Role of FOMO in Gen Z Influencer Marketing
Keywords:
digital aspiration, social media influencer, FOMO, materialism, generation zAbstract
In the rapidly evolving digital era, influencer marketing creates a complex tension between digital aspiration and social anxiety, but the impact on the psychological responses of Generation Z remains underexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the influence of social media influencer exposure on purchase intention, reporting the mediating roles of the desire to mimic and materialism collectively defined as digital aspiration, as well as examining the moderating effect of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). A quantitative method was applied with 385 Generation Z respondents in Indonesia selected through purposive sampling, and the data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that influencer exposure did not directly drive purchase intention, but the effect was fully mediated through the internalization of digital aspirations. This study identified FOMO as a significant emotional accelerator that strengthened the relationship between influencer exposure and materialism, showing a defensive response to social exclusion. However, FOMO failed to moderate the direct relationship between exposure and purchase intention, reporting a level of digital skepticism and sophisticated cognitive filtering inherent in Generation Z. The tension between digital aspiration and social anxiety was also clarified within the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework. Managerially, the results advised a strategic shift from urgency-based tactics to aspiration-focused strategies to improve deep social identification.
References
Al-Sous, N., Almajali, D., & Alsokkar, A. (2023). Antecedents of social media influencers on customer purchase intention: Empirical study in Jordan. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 7(1), 125–130. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2022.11.010
Ampornklinkaew, C. (2025). The role of social media influencers in influencing consumers’ imitation intentions. Digital Business, 5(2), 100143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2025.100143
Ao, L., Bansal, R., Pruthi, N., & Khaskheli, M. B. (2023). Impact of Social Media Influencers on Customer Engagement and Purchase Intention: A Meta-Analysis. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032744
Belanche, D., Casaló, L. V., Flavián, M., & Ibáñez-Sánchez, S. (2021). Building influencers’ credibility on Instagram: Effects on followers’ attitudes and behavioral responses toward the influencer. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102585
Boerman, S. C. (2020). The effects of the standardized instagram disclosure for micro- and meso-influencers. Computers in Human Behavior, 103, 199–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.09.015
Boerman, S. C., & van Reijmersdal, E. A. (2020). Disclosing Influencer Marketing on YouTube to Children: The Moderating Role of Para-Social Relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03042
Chen, N., & Yang, Y. (2023). The Role of Influencers in Live Streaming E-Commerce: Influencer Trust, Attachment, and Consumer Purchase Intention. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 18(3), 1601–1618. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer18030081
Dinh, T. C. T., & Lee, Y. (2024). Social media influencers and followers’ conspicuous consumption: The mediation of fear of missing out and materialism. Heliyon, 10(16). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36387
Dinh, T. C. T., Wang, M., & Lee, Y. (2023). How Does the Fear of Missing Out Moderate the Effect of Social Media Influencers on Their Followers’ Purchase Intention? SAGE Open, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231197259
Dwisuardinata, I. B. N., & Darma, G. S. (2022). The Impact of Social Influence, Product Knowledge, and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) towards Purchase Intention on Alcoholic Beverage in Bali. Binus Business Review, 14(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.21512/bbr.v14i1.8919
Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168
Good, M. C., & Hyman, M. R. (2020). ‘Fear of missing out’: antecedents and influence on purchase likelihood. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 28(3), 330–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2020.1766359
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (Sage Publications Inc. & Thousand Oaks, Eds.; 3rd ed.).
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. In European Business Review (Vol. 31, Issue 1, pp. 2–24). Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Han, J., & Balabanis, G. (2024). Meta-analysis of social media influencer impact: Key antecedents and theoretical foundations. In Psychology and Marketing (Vol. 41, Issue 2, pp. 394–426). John Wiley and Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21927
Hanandeh, A., Kilani, Q., Alserhan, A. F., Khasawneh, Z., Hijazin, A. F. K., Nahleh, I. A., & Hammouri, Q. (2023). E-marketing, EWOM, and social media influencers’ effects on Intention to purchase and cus-tomer’s happiness at Amman Stock Exchange. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 7(4), 1921–1928. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2023.7.001
Hudders, L., De Jans, S., & De Veirman, M. (2021). The commercialization of social media stars: a literature review and conceptual framework on the strategic use of social media influencers. International Journal of Advertising, 40(3), 327–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2020.1836925
Hussain, S., Raza, A., Haider, A., Ishaq, M. I., & Talpur, Q. (2023). Fear of missing out and compulsive buying behavior: The moderating role of mindfulness. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 75, 103512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103512
Joshi, Y., Lim, W. M., Jagani, K., & Kumar, S. (2023). Social media influencer marketing: foundations, trends, and ways forward. Electronic Commerce Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-023-09719-z
Khan, M., & Sandeep Kumar, P. (2019). Celebrity Endorsement and Purchase Intentions: The Role of Perceived Quality and Brand Loyalty Institute of Business Management, Karachi, Pakistan Zareena Memon Institute of Business Management Market Forces.
K S, D., & Massand, A. (2025). A study on reflective factors of social media marketing activities and its influence on purchase intention of gen z. Acta Psychologica, 259, 105459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105459
Koay, K. Y., Cheung, M. L., Soh, P. C. H., & Teoh, C. W. (2022). Social media influencer marketing: the moderating role of materialism. European Business Review, 34(2), 224–243. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-02-2021-0032
Kurdi, B. Al, Alshurideh, M., Akour, I., Tariq, E., Alhamad, A., & Alzoubi, H. M. (2022). The effect of social media influencers’ characteristics on consumer intention and attitude toward Keto products purchase intention. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 6(4), 1135–1146. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2022.7.006
Lady, Lady, Meilani, L., Cuandra, F., & Na, B. (2024). Exploring the influence of ‘Korean Wave’ on brand loyalty: The moderating role of product type. Asian Management and Business Review, 394–412. https://doi.org/10.20885/ambr.vol4.iss2.art14
Lady, Lady, Shevia, S., Melsen, F., Purwianti, L., & Liu, C. (2025). Exploring Gen-Z Online Fashion Purchase Intention Using SOR Model: The Moderating Role of Gender. Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis, 16(2), 372–394. https://doi.org/10.18196/mb.v16i2.25591
La Ferle, C., & Chan, K. (2008). Determinants for materialism among adolescents in Singapore. Young Consumers, 9(3), 201–214. https://doi.org/10.1108/17473610810901633
Le, T.-M. H., & Ngoc, B. M. (2024). Consumption-related social media peer communication and online shopping intention among Gen Z consumers: A moderated-serial mediation model. Computers in Human Behavior, 153, 108100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.108100
Li, J., Qi, J., Wu, L., Shi, N., Li, X., Zhang, Y., & Zheng, Y. (2021). The continued use of social commerce platforms and psychological anxiety—the roles of influencers, informational incentives and fomo. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212254
Lou, C. (2022). Social Media Influencers and Followers: Theorization of a Trans-Parasocial Relation and Explication of Its Implications for Influencer Advertising. Journal of Advertising, 51(1), 4–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2021.1880345
Lou, C., & Kim, H. K. (2019). Fancying the New Rich and Famous? Explicating the Roles of Influencer Content, Credibility, and Parental Mediation in Adolescents’ Parasocial Relationship, Materialism, and Purchase Intentions. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02567
Martínez-López, F. J., Anaya-Sánchez, R., Fernández Giordano, M., & Lopez-Lopez, D. (2020). Behind influencer marketing: key marketing decisions and their effects on followers’ responses. Journal of Marketing Management, 36(7–8), 579–607. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2020.1738525
Piko, B. F., Müller, V., Kiss, H., & Mellor, D. (2025). Exploring contributors to FoMO (fear of missing out) among university students: The role of social comparison, social media addiction, loneliness, and perfectionism. Acta Psychologica, 253, 104771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104771
Richins, M. L. (2004). The material values scale: Measurement properties and development of a short form. In Journal of Consumer Research (Vol. 31, Issue 1, pp. 209–219). https://doi.org/10.1086/383436
Ross, C., Orr, E. S., Sisic, M., Arseneault, J. M., Simmering, M. G., & Orr, R. R. (2009). Personality and motivations associated with Facebook use. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(2), 578–586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2008.12.024
Scheer, L. K., & Stern, L. W. (1992). The effect of influence type and performance outcomes on attitude toward the influencer. Journal of Marketing Research, 29(1), 128–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224379202900111
Schouten, A. P., Janssen, L., & Verspaget, M. (2020). Celebrity vs. Influencer endorsements in advertising: the role of identification, credibility, and Product-Endorser fit. International Journal of Advertising, 39(2), 258–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1634898
Shammout, E., D’Alessandro, S., Small, F., & Nayeem, T. (2022). Lifting the curtain on cultural values, materialism and luxury consumption: Evidence from Jordan. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 21(5), 987–1001. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2053
Suprawan, L., & Pojanavatee, S. (2022). What causes social media users to engage and mimic virtual influencers? The role of self-congruity. Innovative Marketing, 18(4), 148–160. https://doi.org/10.21511/im.18(4).2022.13
Tafesse, W., & Wood, B. P. (2021). Followers’ engagement with instagram influencers: The role of influencers’ content and engagement strategy. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102303
Trivedi, J., & Sama, R. (2020). The Effect of Influencer Marketing on Consumers’ Brand Admiration and Online Purchase Intentions: An Emerging Market Perspective. Journal of Internet Commerce, 19(1), 103–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2019.1700741
Tuominen, J., Rantala, E., Reinikainen, H., Luoma-aho, V., & Wilska, T. A. (2022). The brighter side of materialism: Managing impressions on social media for higher social capital. Poetics, 92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2022.101651
Venciute, D., Mackeviciene, I., Kuslys, M., & Correia, R. F. (2023). The role of influencer–follower congruence in the relationship between influencer marketing and purchase behaviour. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103506
Xiao, L., Saleem, A., Tariq, S. M., Haq, J. U., & Guo, M. (2021). I wish I could be like her/him! how self-congruence stimulates a desire to mimic. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 16(7), 3025–3042. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16070165
Yenita, Y., & Cintalia, M. (2023). The Effect of Influencer Imitation on Purchase Intention Mediated by Social Comparison and FOMO at Fine Dining Restaurants in Jakarta. International Journal of Application on Economics and Business, 1(4), 2762–2769. https://doi.org/10.24912/ijaeb.v1i4.2762-2769
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lady, Kristi Ardianata, Listia Nurjanah, Angeline Kho
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License - Share Alike that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
USER RIGHTS
All articles published Open Access will be immediately and permanently free for everyone to read and download. We are continuously working with our author communities to select the best choice of license options, currently being defined for this journal as follows: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike (CC BY-SA)
