This paper provides empirical evidence of a link between the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and reluctant privacy behaviours, to help explain a gap between users’ privacy attitudes and their behaviours online (also known as the Privacy Paradox). Using Grounded Theory, we interviewed 25 participants and created a high-level empirically-grounded theory of the relationship between FoMO and reluctant privacy behaviours. We identify three main dimensions in which users feel pressured to participate even when they have privacy concerns, to avoid missing out. We discuss the implications of these results on the design of technologies, and how they may indicate systemic dark design.

This paper explores how the design of online technology influences social factors and manipulates users' online privacy behaviours. In short, users reveal information and participate in online activities even when reluctant due to the influence of dark patterns. We propose FoMO-Centric Design as a paradigm for explaining how dark pattern-infused design may lead users to reluctantly behave in a less secure or privacy-preserving way than their attitudes reflect. We review the literature for evidence pointing to the existence of such design and for potential explanations for how it works. We then discuss the implications, present a list of preliminary recommendations, and offer an agenda for the research community based on our findings.