With the rise of social media, everyone’s life, including that of friends, acquaintances, and even absolute strangers, has now become an open book to everybody else. But while the possibilities that have opened up in this hyper-connected world are many, it has given way to an ensuing psychological phenomenon that now goes by the name of FOMO: shorthand for the Fear Of Missing Out. Very much a silent epidemic, now rampant amongst all age groups, this is a prevailing anxiety state corralled incessantly by the stream of other people’s lives’ highlights.
The Fear of Missing Out, better known as FOMO, has become integral to the digital era. With the pervasiveness of each social media platform bombarding its user with an unlimited number of curated highlights and updates, one becomes predisposed to believing that everybody else is leading a more exciting and full life. The perception created fosters deep-seated anxiety about possibly missing experiences, opportunities, and social interactions.
FOMO is fundamental at its core to the insidiousness of social comparison. This line—narrated across Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat—really, a manicured illusion of flawlessness where guys and ladies are broadcasting how fabulous they look and how fantastically things are going creates a distorted impression of the lives of others and leads people to believe that everyone else is living life much more fun and full of adventures. Constant exposure to that perfect ideal state of reality will chip away at one’s self-esteem and start feelings of inadequacy.
People are always linked to them now; smartphones and social media have become part of personal and professional life. The mounting pressure to be literally wired in and on the go has become so consuming that it leads to burnout and hurts productivity. People are literally caught in a web of continually having to check their notifications, scout the feeds to see what others are doing, and compare themselves with others, all the while forgetting their own well-being. This state of hyper-vigilance can interfere with sleeping ability, cause problems concentrating, and affect the fullness of being in the present.
Moreover, FOMO can significantly affect mental health. This fear can tread in anxiety, depression, and even move one to social isolation in an extreme sense. The more time they spend on this online persona, the more they lose out on opportunities and relationships that would bring genuine satisfaction. It is a never-ending craving for validation and approval, which satisfaction is impossible because of the desire to put up a better image online and really turns into a vicious circle for low self-esteem and dependence on external validation.
Therefore, one should work toward a good relationship with social media to mitigate the effects of FOMO. Definite limits, like allowing specific times for using social media and managing to stay from it before bedtime, reduce the effect of the apprehension on mental well-being. Additionally, mindfulness and gratitude shift the focus from what others are doing to appreciating one’s own life experiences. It is always important to remind oneself that social media only gives glimpses, a kind of reality, but varying between a crooked and incomplete picture. Thus, by supporting unrealistic expectations and encouraging your own dose of self-compassion, one will emerge more resilient and potentially less circumscribed by FOMO.
FOMO is just too complex a phenomenon directly associated with the digital age. With social media, it has lit up the world with all the positives, while the pitfalls have to be realized at the same time. Knowing the basis that fuels FOMO allows the individual to act upon effective coping strategies to lessen its hold on day-to-day life and learn to live with a more satisfying and meaningful life.
In general, FOMO is an issue with different faces and far-reaching consequences. Social media comes with so many goodnesses that the possibility of its possible downsides is crucial. Understanding the mechanisms of FOMO and adopting the strategies to manage its influence allows people to finally regain peace in life and start living a real, meaningful one.
