The Relationship Between FOMO, Social Media Use, and Impulsive Buying: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Turkey and Germany

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between consumers’ social media use, fear of missing out (FOMO), and impulsive buying behavior within the context of cultural differences. The current study tested a theoretical framework that evaluated the influence of a set of social media usage, fear of missing out, and impulsive buying behavior. The research was conducted through a survey of 700 university students in Istanbul and Bremen. The findings indicate that social media use and FOMO are positively and significantly associated with impulsive buying behavior. Moreover, students in Turkey were found to have higher levels of impulsive buying compared to those in Germany. However, the main limitation of the study is that the sample consists solely of university students, which restricts the generalizability of the results. This study contributes to the literature by comparatively revealing the impact of digital interactions and cultural factors on consumer behavior.