FoMO Style and Users’ Responses to Viral Culinary Content on TikTok: A Netnographic Study in Medan City

Akbar Aldi Kautsar; Anang Anaz Azhar; Elfi Yanti  Ritonga

doi:10.58421/gehu.v5i4.1928

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v5i4.1928

Authors

Akbar Aldi Kautsar Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara
Anang Anaz Azhar Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara
Elfi Yanti Ritonga Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara

Keywords:

TikTok, FoMO Style, Media Dependency Theory, Netnography, Culinary Tourism, Digital Communication

Abstract

This study aims to examine how TikTok users interpret viral culinary tourism information and how FoMO Style shapes participation in culinary tourism experiences in Medan City, Indonesia. Employing a qualitative netnographic approach, this study explores digital interactions, meaning construction, and behavioral patterns within the TikTok ecosystem. Data were collected from June to November 2026 through digital observation of viral culinary content, semi-structured interviews with 10 purposively selected TikTok users, and supporting interviews with culinary content creators and business owners as contextual informants. The digital corpus consisted of four viral culinary TikTok videos from two creator accounts, including comments, captions, hashtags, audience interactions, and archived digital documentation. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework and interpreted through Media System Dependency Theory and FoMO Style perspectives. The findings reveal that TikTok functions as a digital information environment where culinary tourism meanings are constructed through algorithmic exposure, social validation, creator credibility, and personal evaluation. Repeated FYP exposure increases users’ awareness and curiosity, while comments, likes, shares, and creator recommendations influence credibility assessment. However, viral popularity does not automatically determine culinary value, as users continue to consider taste, price, accessibility, service quality, and actual experiences. FoMO Style emerges as a social mechanism encouraging participation through trend awareness, digital belonging, identity expression, and engagement with shared online experiences. Nevertheless, users also demonstrate skepticism, avoid overcrowded destinations, prioritize quality, or visit without producing digital content. This study extends Media System Dependency Theory by showing that TikTok-mediated culinary tourism is shaped by the interaction of algorithmic visibility, social validation, personal interpretation, and offline experiences.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

K. K. Kapoor, K. Tamilmani, N. P. Rana, P. Patil, Y. K. Dwivedi, and S. Nerur, “Advances in Social Media Research: Past, Present and Future,” Inf. Syst. Front., vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 531–558, 2018, doi: 10.1007/s10796-017-9810-y.

J. Kietzmann, J. Paschen, and E. Treen, “Artificial Intelligence in Advertising,” J. Advert. Res., vol. 58, no. 3, pp. 263–267, Sep. 2018, doi: 10.2501/JAR-2018-035.

R. G. Bilro and E. Koutoulaki, “From Plate to Post: Exploring the Impact of Foodstagramming on Greece’s Travel Destination Image BT - Consumer Brand Relationships in Tourism: An International Perspective,” R. A. Rather, Ed., Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024, pp. 363–383. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-59535-6_19.

M. A. B. Rasel, M. R. Islam, P. C. Das, and S. Saini, “User Influence, Hashtag Trends, and Engagement Patterns: Analyzing Social Media Network Dynamics in Tourism Using Graph Analytics,” Tour. Hosp., vol. 6, no. 2, 2025, doi: 10.3390/tourhosp6020060.

K. K. F. So, H. Kim, and C. King, “The thematic evolution of customer engagement research: a comparative systematic review and bibliometric analysis,” Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manag., vol. 33, no. 10, pp. 3585–3609, Sep. 2021, doi: 10.1108/IJCHM-04-2021-0470.

A. Tandon, A. Dhir, I. Almugren, G. N. AlNemer, and M. Mäntymäki, “Fear of missing out (FoMO) among social media users: a systematic literature review, synthesis and framework for future research,” Internet Res., vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 782–821, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.1108/INTR-11-2019-0455.

A. D. F. Samsura and P. Rufaidah, “Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Consumer Behaviour: What is Next? (A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review),” Society, vol. 13, no. 2 SE-Research Articles, pp. 833–856, Apr. 2025, doi: 10.33019/society.v13i2.864.

A. K. Przybylski, K. Murayama, C. R. DeHaan, and V. Gladwell, “Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out,” Comput. Human Behav., vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 1841–1848, 2013, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014.

S. L. Buglass, J. F. Binder, L. R. Betts, and J. D. M. Underwood, “Motivators of online vulnerability: The impact of social network site use and FOMO,” Comput. Human Behav., vol. 66, pp. 248–255, 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.09.055.

S. Habib and A. Almamy, “Impact of FOMO on social media engagement and impulse buying of lifestyle products: mediation analysis,” J. Innov. Digit. Transform., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 176–195, May 2025, doi: 10.1108/JIDT-01-2025-0004.

M. (Myla) Bui, A. S. Krishen, E. Anlamlier, and O. Berezan, “Fear of missing out in the digital age: The role of social media satisfaction and advertising engagement,” Psychol. Mark., vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 683–693, Apr. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21611.

M. C. Good and M. R. Hyman, “‘Fear of missing out’: antecedents and influence on purchase likelihood,” J. Mark. Theory Pract., vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 330–341, Jul. 2020, doi: 10.1080/10696679.2020.1766359.

J. D. Elhai, H. Yang, D. McKay, and G. J. G. Asmundson, “COVID-19 anxiety symptoms associated with problematic smartphone use severity in Chinese adults,” J. Affect. Disord., vol. 274, pp. 576–582, 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.080.

M. L. DeFleur et al., “General Mass Media,” Commun. Booknotes, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 56–58, Jan. 1976, doi: 10.1080/10948007609489189.

S. J. Ball-Rokeach, “A Theory of Media Power and a Theory of Media Use: Different Stories, Questions, and Ways of Thinking,” Mass Commun. Soc., vol. 1, no. 1–2, pp. 5–40, Jan. 1998, doi: 10.1080/15205436.1998.9676398.

D. M. Grant, “Detoxification pathways in the liver,” J. Inherit. Metab. Dis., vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 421–430, 1991, doi: 10.1007/BF01797915.

R. putri Pranandari, A. Amaliah, and D. Prihatiningtyas, “Perkembangan Pariwisata Halal Di Indonesia,” Muamalah, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1–14, 2023, doi: 10.19109/muamalah.v9i1.17988.

S. Febriyanti, F. C. Amanda, A. I. O. Pasaribu, Z. Shartika, and H. R. Mahesa, “Sinergi Ekonomi Kreatif dan Pariwisata dalam Mendorong Pembangunan Ekonomi Berbasis Budaya di Indonesia,” J. Abdimas ADPI Sos. Hum., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 21–26, 2025, doi: 10.47841/jsoshum.v6i3.516.

O. Cornock, The Report: Indonesia 2018. Oxford Business Group, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.co.id/books?id=kVSZDwAAQBAJ

S. Suriani, I. Nur, F. Fatmawati, and S. M. Baharuddin, “Economic Growth and Financial Management for SMEs: Perspectives on Community Economic Business Sustainability,” Atestasi J. Ilm. Akunt., vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 704–729, 2024, doi: 10.57178/atestasi.v7i1.909.

Y. K. Dwivedi et al., “Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions,” Int. J. Inf. Manage., vol. 59, p. 102168, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168.

K. Nusair, I. Butt, and S. R. Nikhashemi, “A bibliometric analysis of social media in hospitality and tourism research,” Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manag., vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 2691–2719, Jul. 2019, doi: 10.1108/IJCHM-06-2018-0489.

M. T. Cuomo, D. Tortora, P. Foroudi, A. Giordano, G. Festa, and G. Metallo, “Digital transformation and tourist experience co-design: Big social data for planning cultural tourism,” Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change, vol. 162, p. 120345, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120345.

O. Mizielska and A. Strzelecki, “From ‘For You’ to Fork: TikTok’s Influence on Young Consumers’ Food Behaviors,” Int. J. Consum. Stud., vol. 50, no. 1, p. e70184, Jan. 2026, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70184.

C. Suttikun, P. Mahasuweerachai, S. Kiatkiri, and W. H. Bicksler, “TikTok social media food tourism content influence on tourists’ dining experiences and destination attachment,” Tour. Rev., vol. 81, no. 4, pp. 1298–1316, Nov. 2025, doi: 10.1108/TR-04-2025-0400.

C. Gómez-Corona, “Netnographic Approach to Analyse Social Media Content BT - Collection and Analysis of Text Data in Sensory and Consumer Science,” M. Visalli and M. V. Galmarini, Eds., Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026, pp. 251–269. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-04851-6_11.

C. Hine, Ethnography for the Internet: Embedded, Embodied and Everyday. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.co.id/books?id=fxidBQAAQBAJ

S. N. Azizah, M. Ridwan, and Puspitasari, “Determinants Of Stunting Incidence In Toddlers In Pasaman Barat,” Int. J. Heal. Eng. Technol., vol. 1, no. 6, pp. 260–267, 2023, doi: 10.55227/ijhet.v1i6.109.

J. W. Creswell and C. N. Poth, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches, 4th ed. https://collegepublishing.sagepub.com/products/qualitative-inquiry-and-research-design-4-246896, 2020.

E. J. Tisdell, S. B. Merriam, and H. L. Stuckey-Peyrot, Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. Wiley, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.co.id/books?id=tRpCEQAAQBAJ

M. B. Miles, A. M. Huberman, and J. Saldana, Qualitative Data Analysis. SAGE Publications, 2014. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.co.id/books?id=3CNrUbTu6CsC

N. K. Denzin and Y. S. Lincoln, Handbook of Qualitative Research. in Qualitative research. SAGE Publications, 1994. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.co.id/books?id=u8hpAAAAMAAJ

V. Braun and V. Clarke, “Using thematic analysis in psychology,” Qual. Res. Psychol., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77–101, 2020, doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.

A. S. Manurung, “TOURISM COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IN DEVELOPING HALAL TOURISM IN THE LAKE,” vol. 10, no. April, pp. 128–142, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.26905/nomosleca.v10i1.12897.

C. Montag, H. Yang, and J. D. Elhai, “On the Psychology of TikTok Use: A First Glimpse From Empirical Findings,” Front. Public Heal., vol. 9, no. March, pp. 1–6, 2021, doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.641673.

E. Kross, P. Verduyn, G. Sheppes, C. K. Costello, J. Jonides, and O. Ybarra, “Social Media and Well-Being: Pitfalls, Progress, and Next Steps,” Trends Cogn. Sci., vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 55–66, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.10.005.