Dynamics of online game consumption of young people: The role of fear of missing out in mediating the impact of influencers on Roblox use

Abstrak

The popularity of Roblox as one of the leading online games in Indonesia has continued to grow alongside the rapid development of digital technology and social media, making it important to understand the factors that influence individuals' decisions to use the platform. This study aims to analyze the direct influence of influencers on the decision to use Roblox and examine the mediating role of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). This research employed a quantitative explanatory approach using an online questionnaire distributed to 150 respondents aged 17–24 years. The data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results indicate that both influencers and FoMO have a positive and significant effect on the decision to use Roblox. Furthermore, influencer activities were found to significantly stimulate FoMO among audiences. The mediation analysis also confirms that FoMO significantly mediates the relationship between influencers and the decision to use Roblox. These findings indicate that the influence of influencers is not only direct but also indirect, operating through the stimulation of audiences' social anxiety (FoMO) before they decide to use the platform. Theoretically, these findings reinforce the role of FoMO as a psychological mechanism explaining the influence of influencers on platform usage decisions, while enriching the literature on consumer behavior in the social media era.

Kata kunci

• Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)
• Influencer
• usage decision