JOMO – the digital detox you need.

We already know a lot about the infamous (and rightly so) FOMO, or the "Fear of Missing Out" syndrome, which in short is when we are obsessively afraid of missing something (read more about it in a separate article ). JOMO sounds similar, but few people have heard of it. This is a relatively new term, although it was only a matter of time before something appeared to counterbalance FOMO . The latter syndrome in Poland affects as many as 16% of Internet users, i.e. 4 million people. It is worth emphasizing, however, that from many studies, as well as reports from whistleblower Francis Haugen ¹ shows that constant online presence, being constantly ready and connected, has a negative impact on both the well-being and self-esteem of Internet users.

How to experience JOMO?

To start feeling the joy of missing out on what's going on (especially on the Internet), you don't need any special skills or preparations. Just put your phone down and be here and now. Sounds trivial? Sure, it is, but it's not that easy, as you can see by doing a little test, for example by spending 3 hours (in a row!) without checking e-mail, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter . It may turn out that it is not that easy. If it were, the recently increasingly popular mindfulness courses would be unnecessary , because everyone would be able to practice what mindfulness is all about: being here and now, without distractions and interruptions. We wrote about the positive impact mindfulness has on mental and physical health here .

What are the health benefits of JOMO?

The American Heart Association lists the following health benefits of JOMO: better sleep, less anxiety, greater creativity, deeper relationships with people ² . JOMO (in this sense) has only recently been talked about, which is why there are not many studies on this topic, but it has already been developed, among others: the work of Indian scientists who studied FOMO, JOMO and their impact on humans ³ . They concluded that "JOMO has a positive impact on mental health ."

Anyway: you don't need research for this, just common sense . Compare how you feel after an hour on the Internet, jumping from one window to another, and how you feel after an hour spent walking/reading a book/listening to music. Or cooking, cleaning or ironing - anything that absorbs our attention and takes up our hands enough to not reach for the phone.

JOMO as a digital detox.

Quoted by one of the health websites ⁴ Psychiatrist Dr. Sonal Anand believes that JOMO is simply about making conscious decisions that allow, as he puts it, "to live more fully without internal conflict." Why? Because it allows you not only to focus on the present, but also to free yourself from the paradigm of perfection imposed by social media and, at the same time, from comparing yourself with others . This, in turn, leads to getting rid of the source of stress , which becomes even more valuable in times of overlapping crises - those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine or global warming.

"JOMO can become salvation and help with digital detox . It is a process in which we decide what is more important to us, and this allows us to maintain mental balance . The best way to start practicing JOMO is to reduce the time we spend in the media social media . Initially, it may be difficult, but with the right motivation and plan - you will succeed, " said Dr. Anand.

The already mentioned American Heart Association also adds some advice on how to start practicing JOMO ⁵ :

• start using the "do not disturb" status in messengers when you have work to do that you need to focus on and when you are resting;
• check news and updates only once a day;
• do not open emails after working hours;
• try not to use digital devices on weekends (or at least 1 day a week).

If the above points still seem too difficult for you, it is worth starting by not reaching for your phone first thing in the morning and instead spending some time with yourself.

Bibliography:

1. Towey H., “13-minute video of Facebook whistleblower. These are some of the strongest allegations ever made against the company," BusinessInsider.com, October 7, 2021.
2. JOMO: The Joy of Missing Out Infographic, American Heart Association, heart.org, accessed October 31, 2022.
3. Rautela, Sonica & Sharma, Sarika. (2022). Fear of missing out (FOMO) to the joy of missing out (JOMO): shifting dunes of problematic usage of the internet among social media users. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society. ahead-of-print. 10.1108/JICES-06-2021-0057.
4. Nikita Bhardway, “Here's why it's time to embrace JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)”, healthshots.com, February 2, 2022
5. JOMO: The Joy of Missing Out Infographic, op. cit.