We are often involved in group activities and parties which are the socializing beacon for us. But sometimes, we might not be able to attend some events, parties or activities for various reasons. Nowadays, social media has made it easy to keep oneself updated with what others are doing in their lives. This could include clips posted from their activity sessions, parties and so on. This especially creates a problem when we are not able to attend those events. Viewing those stories and posts creates FOMO.
FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, refers to the anxiety or apprehension that one might feel when they believe they are missing out on enjoyable experiences or opportunities that others are partaking in. This feeling is often amplified by social media, where people frequently post about their activities, travels, events, and other life moments. FOMO can lead to a constant need to stay connected and updated, sometimes resulting in stress or dissatisfaction with one’s own life in comparison to others.
How to use FOMO in daily conversations –
“I’m not using social media for the next 24 hours. I didn’t attend the Halloween party last night and I’m sure people must have posted about it and I don’t want to feel FOMO.” Here the person is explaining how he doesn’t want to feel sad about not having attended the party last night.
“I’m feeling FOMO looking at all the pictures of people going on summer vacations, while here I am with a broken arm not being able to go anywhere.” In this case, the person is not able to travel because of health concerns and is feeling that she is missing out on travelling during the summer vacations.
“They didn’t invite me to the party and I’m feeling FOMO now.” We all feel it when we are not invited somewhere for some reason and we so want to be there!