Vietnam youth grapple with social‑media FOMO and attention‑economy pressures

A 2025 study by a South African university found that 84.5% of Vietnamese students spend more than four hours daily on social media, with nearly 40% reporting negative effects on academic work. Interviews illustrate the phenomenon: Lê Nam, a university student in Hanoi, recounted watching TikTok videos for hours before realizing it was 1 a.m., while office worker Hải Ngọc described frequent breaks to check platforms during work, fearing he would miss trends.

Researchers link these behaviors to high levels of FOMO – the fear of missing out – which drive excessive platform use. A paper in *Addictive Behaviors* showed that youths with strong FOMO spend significantly more time online, and a *Current Psychology* study connected FOMO to lower life satisfaction and increased social comparison. Experts describe a broader “information FOMO,” where the pressure to stay updated on news and trends leads to rapid, shallow content consumption. Algorithms designed for the attention economy keep users engaged longer, boosting advertising revenue and data value.

The combined findings highlight how algorithmic design and cultural pressure to stay connected shape the daily habits and well‑being of Vietnam’s younger generation.