Is FOMO Real? How I Dealt With FOMO — My Experience
Let me spoil it for you from the very beginning, FOMO is real, 7 out of 10 people suffer from FOMO, 56% of people who experience FOMO are aged 18–30.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is increasingly common in our society, and it causes a substantial amount of stress in people’s lives. The feeling is not only about you missing out on something, it’s the feeling that you are missing out on something important that other people are enjoying right now.
Since the arrival of social media, FOMO has increased more than ever before. The main reason social media has so much to do with FOMO is that it makes you compare your day-to-day life to other people’s highlights of the day. Social media created a platform for showing off, where even happiness is a competition at times. People keep comparing their highlights of the day, which leads other people to wonder about what they are lacking.
What you ABSOLUTELY need to know about FOMO
FOMO can be experienced by people of all ages. It is less about the age of a person and more about how much time he/she spends on smartphones or social media.
An excessive amount of social media can cause FOMO. However, FOMO acts as a mechanism that triggers higher social networking usage. Girls experiencing depression tend to use social networking sites at a greater rate while, for boys, anxiety was a trigger for greater social media use (Source).
FOMO causes unhappiness, anxiety, low self-esteem. This can also cause distracted driving, which in cases can be fatal and deadly.
How I Dealt With FOMO
You can never really get rid of FOMO, but you surely reduce it. Research shows that a fear of missing out can stem from unhappiness and dissatisfaction with life and that these feelings can propel us into greater social media usage (Source). Here is how I dealt with FOMO, and still am.
- Appreciating what I have: I try to focus on what I lack. I have changed my Instagram and Facebook feed with people I admire and who will not trigger my FOMO. I make sure I reduce the presence of the people that trigger my FOMO and hide them for my happiness.
- Writing: I keep a personal journal to write about my memories that I feel are too much for my social media. It helps me get through the need for public approval and possess private appreciation.
- Appreciating other people: I simply tell people what I like about them, or what makes them special. Studies show that engaging in gratitude-enhancing activities like gratitude journaling or simply telling others what you appreciate about them can lift your spirits as well as those of everyone around you (Source).
- Instead of Virtual Interactions, I plan Real-Life Hangouts. Small trips, plans with a good friend, or just doing anything social makes me a whole lot better when I’m experiencing FOMO.
FOMO is common and people of all ages experience it. Almost everyone experiences FOMO at some point in their lives. If you feel like experiencing FOMO, try reaching out to a friend, try looking at the things you’re grateful for. These will help you get rid of the feeling that you’re missing out on anything.
