FOMO: Be careful, you'll miss something

The acronym FOMO (“Fear of Missing Out”) means the fear of missing something – in the real world or on social media. FOMO is not only related to the worry that while we are quietly frying pancakes, something is happening somewhere that requires our immediate attention, but also to the desire to always be online . In communications. In range.

7 out of 10 millennials have FOMO.

Research by scientists conducted at the University of Warsaw and by analysts from the Ariadna research panel shows that as many as 16 percent Internet users in Poland – those over 15 years old – experience FOMO. They are afraid to disconnect, and the thought of being without the Internet for a while is paralyzing for them. Assuming that there are almost 27 million people using the Internet in Poland, it turns out that FOMO affects as many as 4 million Poles. So many people are afraid of losing connection.

Our country, of course, is no exception. Globally, over half of social media users experience FOMO. Interestingly, men struggle with this problem more often than women. For 69 percent For millennials, FOMO is a regular part of the day, not a sporadic experience. That's as many as 7 out of 10 people !

Practically every second person cannot survive 12 hours without checking social media, while every fifth person checks them every hour.

Be careful, social media causes FOMO.

Research and disturbing reports by whistleblower Francis Haugen , formerly a Facebook employee, clearly indicate that social media, the patterns they promote and constant online presence have a destructive impact on users' well-being and self-esteem. Especially – teenagers .

Often, excessive use of social media and, more broadly, the Internet, results from dissatisfaction with what is happening in life. And although social media in theory are supposed to be a remedy for loneliness and improve our mood, in reality they have the opposite effect .

Facebook is considered the biggest culprit of FOMO among social media , causing approximately 72% of cases of this anxiety state. Instagram and Twitter ( 14% of cases each ) and Pinterest ( 8% ) are far behind .

Topical content that contributes most to FOMO is:

• traveling (it's hard to look indifferently at someone lounging under palm trees or exploring the world despite the pandemic, right?);
• events and parties (because who wouldn't want to party in the offline world?);
• food (actually, even more photos of colorful salads, juicy steaks and chocolate pastries that make my mouth water).

The desire to constantly participate in what is happening on the Internet, and to share details of one's life - travel, meals, parties - poses a real threat . Even on the roads: research published in "Computer and Human Behavior" shows that FOMO affects inattentive driving. The consequences can be potentially fatal.

Photo: unsplash.com

How to deal with FOMO.

One of the practical ways to combat FOMO is to change the settings in your social media accounts - so that more positive news and information about people who use social media not only to brag about another exotic trip or a spectacular dinner are displayed. in a fashionable pub. Stop following posers and comparing yourself to them.

You don't have to share everything - it's unlikely that your young children will ever appreciate that when they were children, you reported their every facial expression and funny saying on Facebook. Do you want to cherish memories? Great! But you don't have to do it online. Clean up your profiles, leave something for yourself . Life is here and now, not on the screen.

You can try silencing notifications at night , detoxing from social media for a few hours, or setting an automatic reply in your e-mail.

Instead of exchanging dozens of messages while you can barely keep up with replying, arrange a coffee with a friend. Take mom for a walk. Leave your phone at home . Really – you won't miss anything. And you can also comment on Twitter news later.

However, if you feel that these tips do not work and the problem of FOMO takes away your joy from life, consider visiting a psychologist .

FOMO and psychological disorders.

In a sense, the fear of missing out on something, and therefore of being left out, on some sad margin, has always accompanied humanity. However, it was the last decades, in which there was rapid technological development and the local world became McLuhan's global, eternally online village, that brought research on this topic.

The term "fear of missing out" was coined in 2004 and since then it has regularly appeared in scientific journals from various fields, arousing media interest. The world took even more notice of FOMO in 2013, when the term was added to the Oxford Dictionary . Then psychologists examined it, stating that it could lead to a feeling of inferiority, loneliness and anger. It is also associated with insufficient sleep (the quality of which leaves much to be desired), emotional tension, anxiety and lack of control over emotions.

Bibliography:

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