By Conner Keys, Content Team Academic
In 2023, there were 4.95 billion people using social media and social networking sites (SNS) in the world. In 2015, just 8 years prior, there were only 2.08 billion users (Brian, 2024). This signifies a 138.2% overall increase in that time frame. But what does this mean for us, and how we function?
Due to the significant increase of social media use and internet access, it is important to belong to, and be aware, of the society that surrounds us, as to not feel excluded. This has seemingly led to a rise of the appearance of the ‘Fear of Missing Out’ (FoMO). Though this concept has been around for centuries, the term FoMO was coined in the early 21st century and has a specific association with unhealthy attachments to social media and other SNS. The Oxford English Dictionary states FoMO as “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website” (Oxford English Dictionary, 2024). Similarly, Urban Dictionary (2013) defines the terms as “a form of social anxiety, a compulsive concern that one might miss an opportunity or satisfying event, often aroused by posts seen on social media websites.” From just these two definitions, we can identify two things: FoMO is a form of anxiety, and it is often aroused using social media websites.
Dr. Bahar (2014) states “FOMO seems to have reached its peak in today’s world, especially with the explosion of real-time information on social media.” This observation begins to explain how FoMO is a ‘vicious cycle’, the notable surge of social media use causes FoMO to become more prevalent, the higher levels of FoMO experienced leads to a further increase in social media use.
Gupta & Sharma (2021) suggest FoMO can be broken down into two processes: “perception of missing out, followed up with a compulsive behavior to maintain these social connections.” As stated above, these two processes exacerbate each other, as one heightens, so does the other. The continual need to maintain social connections is most often observed through frequently checking SNS for updates and notifications, alongside surfing the internet, while being in the company of others. This can heighten anxiety as the individual fears missing some drop of information or event that might be important to relate to others. Consequently, they are unable to focus on the life that is going on around them, they can only see what they are or might be missing out on. It is likely that this leads to feelings of loneliness and isolation, in turn leading to other disorders such as depression. This is demonstrated through results found in a meta-analysis. The results indicated “a significant association of depression symptoms and all three constructs of SNS use examined time spent using SNSs, intensity of SNS use, or problematic SNS use” (Cunningham, Hudson, & Harkness, 2021). Furthermore, Busch (2016) states that FoMO has negative effects for students. He lists the following effects:
– Reduced concentration,
– Reduced face-to-face, quality communication,
– Disrupted sleep,
– Increased procrastination,
– Increased stress.
According to Gupta & Sharma (2021), FoMO is “a complex psychological underpinning involving cognitive, behavioural and addiction processes”. There are many scenarios that can trigger feelings of FoMO, and the processes it involves, however, as previously stated, FoMO appears to be on the rise due to excessive SNS use. A 2013 study on the motivational, emotional, and behavioural attachments to FoMO shows “younger participants, and younger men in particular, tended to report the highest levels of FoMO”. It is possible to conclude that this is due to a higher engagement in social media than older participants. Although there was no direct research between the higher levels of FoMO in younger participants and use of social media, the same study identified that “Across all three mediation models results FoMO was robustly associated with social media engagement” (Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan, & Gladwell, 2013).
Another trigger of FoMO is related to brain function. Within the limbic system there is a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is associated with anxiety, aggression, fear conditioning, emotional memory and social cognition (Rajmohan & Mohandas, 2007). Essentially, the purpose of the amygdala is to detect threats and react to them. Feeling dissatisfied or excluded can cause stress, in turn triggering the amygdala. This explains why Tanhan, Özok, & Tayiz (2022) suggest that “individuals with sensitive amygdala may react more than other individuals to exclusion and ignorance of developments.” Due to this, it is likely that individuals may have difficulties functioning within society. For example, Dr. Bahar (2014) indicates that an extension of FoMO in real life is “the inability to commit to something or a fickle temperament.” An example of this could be something as trivial as not buying an item in one shop for fear another shop will have either a better version, or a cheaper version. Similarly, this extension could relate to more serious functioning, e.g, not being able to hold onto a job, as they believe they are missing out on what another job might offer.
How can we fight FoMO? There are various ways to cope with FoMO, each dependent on the individual. Dossey (2014) suggests three strategies to resist FoMO:
Strategy 1: “Realize that FOMO is based on lies.”
Those who post on social media sites often comb through their lives and share the best, most attractive, parts. It is important to remember that these perfect lives don’t exist. Most of us have the same worries and struggles, including those with seemingly decadent lives.
Strategy 2: “Fight FOMO with FOMO.”
It is easy to get caught up in the meanings of words… so change them! Change the definition of FoMO to something more positive such as “Feel Okay More Often”. Changing the meaning of the abbreviation can change your thoughts and feelings regarding it.
Strategy 3: “Stop.”
Focus on the life you’re living and the things surrounding you at that moment. The most important time is the present, so learn to appreciate the now, not a hyped-up, cyber version, of what life should be.
Additionally, Sokol (2010) proposes the following 8 ways to “Overcome your FOMO”
1. Journal about the positive
2. Avoid comparisons – especially to celebs and influencers
3. Be kind to yourself
4. Don’t fixate on the finances
5. Slow the mind (enjoy the moment)
6. Nurture important relationships
7. Take a hike – literally (enjoy some physical exercise)
8. Acknowledge you may need help
FoMO can be a difficult thing to deal with. It can have many triggers and many different effects on individuals, however, it is not something to take over your life. In a society surrounded by technology, social media, and ‘fake news’, it is important to remember to live in the moment, and appreciate what is in front of you. So, turn off your phone, meet up with friends, and start living!
References
Brian, D. (2024, July 29). Social Media Usage & Groeth Statistics. Retrieved from Backlinko: https://backlinko.com/social-media-users
Busch, B. (2016, March 8). Fomo, stress and sleeplessness: are smartphones bad for students? Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2016/mar/08/children-mobile-phone-distraction-study-school
Cunningham, S., Hudson, C., & Harkness, K. (2021). Social Media and Depression Symptoms: a Meta-Analysis. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 241-253.
Dossey, L. (2014). FOMO, Digital Dementia, and Our Dangerous Experiment. Explore: the journal of science and healing, 10(2), 69-73.
Dr. Bahar, E. (2014, July 17). Are you and your child victims of fomo? Retrieved from Dr. Bahar Eriş: https://drbahareris.com/acaba-cocugunuz-ve-siz-fomo-magduru-musunuz/
Gupta, M., & Sharma, A. (2021, July 6). Fear of missing out: A brief overview of origin, theoretical underpinnings and relationship with mental health. Retrieved from National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8283615/#:~:text=It’s%20evident%20based%20on%20recent,out%20from%20a%20rewarding%20experience.
Oxford English Dictionary. (2024). FOMO. Retrieved from Oxford English Dictionary: https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?scope=Entries&q=fomo
Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell, V. (2013, July). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841-1848. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014
Rajmohan, V., & Mohandas, E. (2007). The limbic system. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 49(2), 132-139. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.33264
Sokol, R. (2010, April 10). Here are 8 ways to shut down your FOMO. Retrieved September 13, 2024, from The Healthy: https://www.thehealthy.com/mental-health/fear-of-missing-out/
Tanhan, F., Özok, H. İ., & Tayiz, V. (2022). Fear of Missing Out (FoMO): A Current Review. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar-Current Approaches in Psychiatry, 14(1), 74-85. doi:10.18863/pgy.942431
Urban Dictionary. (2013, September 4). Fomo. Retrieved from Urban Dictionary: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Fomo
