Fear of Missing Out

The phenomenon known as “FOMO”, or the fear of missing out, is increasingly becoming more prevalent as social media continues to rule our society. FOMO leads individuals to feel or perceive that others are having more fun, leading better lives, or experiencing better things than them.

The reason that social media strengthens this fear is because it is very misleading; individuals are only posting the highlights of their lives: their luxurious vacation, themselves and their partner sharing a romantic dinner, or them flaunting their new, expensive outfit. This can immediately spark feelings of jealousy, sadness, and self-loathing. It makes us immediately forget and take for granted the fun memories we have had and compare ourselves to those pictured on our screen.

These feelings can cause anxious and depressive episodes; we go from mindlessly scrolling on social media to having our minds flooded with negative thoughts. This has happened to me many times personally, and it is very hard to immediately realize that we should not let jealousy of others’ lives and experiences affect our perceptions of our own lives.

Some methods that I use to subside my feelings of FOMO when they occur are to take a break from scrolling through social media to watch a movie or show, listen to music, or read a book. Immersing myself in a song or a story helps my brain to go back to its normal way of thinking.

Have you ever experienced FOMO?

What are some of the methods that you use to subside the negative feelings assosciated with it?