FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out is lingering in both the actual and virtual worlds. We are human beings and, humans have certain distinguished tendencies that make us count as one. With time, the issue of FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out is ensuring its place more and more in our lives.
Cases of people struck by FOMO is shooting up and, one of its main reason undisputably is social media. FOMO is like a slow poison that seeps through us pussyfooted. The more frequently FOMO occurs, the sicker it makes us.
FOMO is threatening because it puts a leash on us. And then the fear starts controlling your thoughts, words, and deeds. There is a genuine reason why we cannot escape the Fear Of Missing Out in our respective lives because we are not entitled to omnipotence and omnipresence.
We are humans, we have limits, we cannot be present everywhere every time because we are not all-powerful so, we will always miss out on things.
FOMO is like an octopus, when it spreads its tentacles around you and wraps you in it, it starts sucking all your contentment, focus, money, time, happiness, competence, and sanity.
- If you want to know more about the effect of FOMO on – Social Media and Loneliness. This is an absolute help.
Table of Contents
Fear Of Missing out (FOMO) Meaning
If we take a quick look at the definition of FOMO given by the Lexico dictionary, we would see this “Anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media.”
And if we go further and look at the definition given by Merriam-Webster, it would say “fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing.”
FOMO arose from the idea that others are enjoying in your absence.
This fear is holding you and not letting you disassociate with others for a maximum period.
All the time, while you are not actually engaging with your people, you are mentally in that frame only. Its culprit is ‘FEAR”. Fear is actually playing with you.
Fear is an extremely unpleasant emotion aroused because of something that didn’t even exist. Fear is due to the accidental possibility or threat of something unpleasant that might occur in the future and give rise to pain, harm, and danger.
Fear is always of the future which means the thing still hasn’t happened and, you are destroying yourself on something that actually didn’t exist.
Esther (Etty) Hillesum, a Dutch author, wrote, “That fear of missing out on things makes you miss out on everything.”
Andrew Yang, an American businessman and the author puts it this way “FOMO (fear of missing out) is the enemy of valuing your own time.”
Fear of missing out outstrips you off of your current moment starts turbulent chaos within you and attacks your psychological health.
We have to admit that we will always miss out on some things.
In this view, an American Essayist and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, quotes, “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else.”
- Looking For – Best Feeling Alone Quotes.
What Is FOMO?
FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out on an opportunity for social interaction, a novel experience, a memorable event, or a profitable investment. It led to negative social and emotional experiences such as loneliness, stress and, depression.
FOMO gives birth to urgency and hinders your plans. It might prompt you to do unnecessary things. It provokes you to “keep up with the Joneses.”You fear the fact that you might become insignificant and people will leave you out.
Following are some important questions that make you a sufferer of FOMO if you ask them to yourself way too much.
- Will I Be Remembered?
- Do My Friends Love Me?
- Does My Family Love Me?
- Will Anything I Accomplish Be Important To Anyone?
- Am I Loved?
- Am I Worth Loving?
- Am I Significant?
The aforementioned are some immensely important questions one could ask oneself. Are you doubting the fact that people might forget you and omit you from their memories, plans, and lives?
Triggers Of FOMO
Below are some examples of FOMO. It might help you recognize FOMO in your lives.
1 – Friends Eating At A Restaurant Downtown
Your encounter with your friends’ picture eating at an exclusive restaurant downtown might trigger your FOMO. You feel like you are left alone and, you have missed out on all the fun.
2 – SALE In The Shopping Mall
You are sitting on the couch of your living room and, you receive a notification from a shopping mall. There is a heavy sale going on and again it triggers your FOMO.
You become fearful at the thought of leaving it, rather you try your level best to purchase maximum things and ended up compromising with your budget. FOMO is being played against you.
3 – Your Cell Phone Is Ringing
You are busy somewhere and, your phone is far away enough to make you uncomfortable at this thought. Suddenly it starts ringing. You rush towards it vigorously to pick it up. Why? Sometimes you could have a genuine reason. But not always.
4 – Your Friend Uploads A Picture On Social Media
No sooner than your friend uploads a picture, you pounce on your phone to like it. For God’s sake, stop behaving like this. Again, at times it is justified but, not each and every time. You are already preoccupied with your own work. Why disrupt it?
You can like and comment after some time. Are you afraid that it would affect your relationship? Then you should work on that rather than faking it.
5 – You Can’t Say NO To Your Family Vacation
It’s the summer holiday and, everyone is planning a family vacation. Your neighbors and friends have gone out for outings. They are sending you pics and calling you from those locations, sharing their lovely moments.
Your story is different. You want to join a workshop in your holidays.
But now you are stuck between these two. And just out of fear of missing out on all the fun, you also give it a nod though unwillingly. You are not giving preference to your plans just out of fear? It’s ridiculous. Kindly ponder.
6 – Your Friends Are Making Their Career In Different Fields Than Yours
Your friend is opting for a different career than yours, although you wanted to become something else, but, FOMO makes you fearful, and puts you in a dilemma. Ultimately, it compels you to compromise with your life.
And the list goes on. Now, when you have this suggestive list in your head you can pinpoint FOMO in your life and make your own exhaustive list.
FOMO, fear of missing out, is not only affecting our virtual life but also our actual life. We are making our life decisions basing them on FOMO. We need to be more conscious and mindful of ourselves.
Apart from all the things, we have JOMO to combat FOMO. JOMO is really effective.
Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO)
JOMO is an acronym for Joy Of Missing Out. Casually, JOY is the antonym of FEAR. To fight FOMO you need a drastic shift in your perspective because it’s all happening up there. JOMO is effective in combating FOMO.
Kristen Fuller, M.D. of Psychology Today, recommended that social media users should adopt JOMO because they are the greatest sufferers of FOMO. She found JOMO is “the emotionally intelligent antidote to FOMO and is essentially about being present and being content with where you are at in life.”
Following are some benefits of JOMO given by Kristen Fuller:
- It let you escape the fast-paced world of social media.
- You remain more mindful of important human relationships.
- You reclaim the time otherwise spent on social media.
- You embrace time away from social media.
- You find solace in your own lives.
Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO) Meaning
Let’s first look at the definition given by the Lexico dictionary, it states, “Pleasure derived from living in a quiet or independent way without feeling anxious that one is missing out on exciting or interesting events that may be happening elsewhere.”
In other words, you are the driver of your thoughts. Other peoples’ activities and offers don’t trigger a behavioral change in you. You never feel that you are missing out on something only because others are doing it.
JOMO is a sociological phenomenon. It is used against FOMO.
What JOMO does, is, change the way you think towards a particular opportunity, experience, interaction, event, and investment.
It is serene because it gives you peace of mind and keeps your feet planted and your head composed. “JOMO teaches you the art of living in the moment and enjoying it to the fullest.” You stop worrying and start enjoying yourself.
What Is JOMO?
If we have to put it straight forward then JOMO is living and enjoying at the moment regardless of what others are doing. Joy Of Missing Out is such a strong phrase and has so much hidden in itself if only we look carefully.
We are living in the 21st century and social media is serving us each and every content in the platter.
We are always aware of others’ decisions, statements, geographical locations, psychological conditions, the clothes they wear, the shades they have, the meals they eat, the place they hang out, the fun they are having, and the list is endless.
And these needless pieces of information are affecting us negatively by making us a victim of FOMO. So, to combat FOMO we are blessed with JOMO.
If we practice JOMO frequently we will surely witness a transformation.
Let’s bring JOMO to the Triggers of FOMO and see the consequences.
1 – You Will Enjoy Your Food
If you are driven by JOMO then the picture of your friends eating at a restaurant downtown will not worry you. You have your preference at the moment. You appreciate the time you are having rather than sulking. You will enjoy your food.
2 – SALE Doesn’t Bother You
The notification of SALE in the Shopping Mall will not make you restless. You think about it twice and go for it according to your budget and you might ignore it at all at times when you do not need anything as such. You Enjoy the moment you are having sitting on a couch over your living room.
3 – You Will Go For Your Cell Phone Easily
If your cell phone is ringing from far away, you don’t jump over it all to pick a call. That is completely alright if you miss any of the calls. If not necessary, you can call the person back after some time. JOMO helps you get control of yourself.
4 – You Will Like Your Friends Picture When You Are Done With Your Work
You don’t wait for your friend to upload a picture so that you like it as soon as possible. You work upon your schedule. You like it whenever you get the time and leave it on your social media only. You don’t eat your head thinking about the fun your friends would have had.
5 – You Will Say NO To Your Family Vacation
If you want to attend some workshop in your holidays you’ll straightforward say NO to your family vacation because you have your plans and you won’t miss them out just out of fear of missing the fun and enjoyment your family would have on the vacation, and that too at the expense of your growth.
6 – You Will Opt For Your Choice Of Career
If your friends are opting for different careers than yours you’ll wish them all the luck and go on your own journey with your choice of career. You know what is better for you, you will not make your life decision out of FOMO.
You will have different responses to different happenings in your life if it would be influenced by JOMO or Joy Of Missing Out. It is effective because it changes the way you look at everything.
This article is a comprehensive study of FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out and JOMO or Joy Of Missing out. I hope you would have understood FOMO and JOMO along with their meanings and examples. Apply them in your day-to-day life and save yourself from this psychological disorder.
I hope you would like this piece worthy enough. Kindly let me know your opinions down in the comment section. I will surely read it and try to improve it. Don’t forget to share it with each and every acquaintance of yours so that they can also be aware of these phenomenons. I would be very grateful to you.
Thank You!
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