In the times of ever-increasing acronyms, FOMO is probably the most popular and also the most
worrisome. FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out. Humans are social creatures. Lets be honest, who
doesn’t like being popular and receiving invia We thrive in groups and rely on social interactions to
keep our lives active and interesting. People have always been curious what others are up to, who
others meet or socialise with. But with advent of social media, this phenomenon reached new
heights.
The term FOMO started gaining traction in early 2000s when users of social media platforms
multiplied. Today, nearly all adolescents and a fair number of adults use social media to interact with
their peers. People post photos or videos of themselves, often socialising or going on holidays,
shopping. Increased social media use is also now tied to ‘nomophobia’ i.e., a fear of being without
one’s phone.
People have a ‘social hunger’ to see what others are up to and these platforms are perfect for the
same. Most of us are guilty of checking out what are friends are upto via social media. Now, it is well
known that on social media people will put up their happy times and their best experiences.
However, this is now serving to increase a sense of insecurity and envy especially in adolescents and
young adults. People see others having fun and develop a sense of inadequacy with their own lives.
They tend to repeatedly check what others are up to and compare their own life to that of others.
The people most at risk are the ones with more social media use.
How does FOMO present itself?
– People suffering from FOMO have a habit of checking their phones and especially socially
media feeds repeatedly and excessively.
– This is tied up with a building sense of uneasiness and negativity. It is especially bad if people
see their friends socialising without them.
– Such people have reduced life satisfaction and they feel that others are leading a happier life
than them.
– It can lower one’s self esteem and worse social anxiety. There might be paradoxical social
withdrawal.
– In order to ‘keep up’ with others, people start overscheduling their days and are either not
able to enjoy any event fully or are unable to get everything done. People also tend to
overshare their life on social media to make themselves seem interesting or busy.
How to escape FOMO?
– Most important aspect of escaping FOMO is to have a sense of purpose and fulfilment in
your personal or professional life. This includes investing energy into developing meaningful
relationships and spending time building your skills.
– Limit what you share on social media. For a lot of people, maintaining a journal filled with
their personal experiences and achievements helps.
– Limit social media use. If reducing screen time is proving difficult then try deleting the app
entirely for a few weeks.
– Practising mindfulness techniques enhances the ability to live life in the moment and also
works well as a relaxation technique.
