Facebook shows that two of your closest friends are going on a vacation together. You wonder, “Why am I missing the fun?” and you start to monitor plans that do not include you.
We spend countless hours on social media platforms, comparing, keeping scores, and confirming the deepest of our insecurities.
We all hate missing out.
When not liking becomes fear, then it’s time for a hard look.
Background
I came across a fascinating article in Psychiatric times. The article “Understanding Fear of Missing out” was written Dr. Rashmi Paramar, a psychiatrist.
I didn’t realize how serious the situation was. After doing some research, I knew that I had to tell you about it.
Dr. Parmar gave a lot of good information, especially in the context of social networks.
We’re going to do a two-parter. In this article, we’ll discuss the fear of being left out. In part two, we will discuss the cause of this fear and how to deal with it.
You’re about read the vast majority of Dr. Parmars’ work.
“Understanding Fear of Missing out”
Dr. Parmar isn’t afraid to be blunt right from the start. She says that social media fuels our desire to live through others. We have a lot of social media at our fingertips 24/7.
As we stare at our screens, we become more susceptible to the “sticky-trap” of FOMO.
FOMO is not exclusive to social media.
Subtle Beginnings
Parmar points to the fact that FOMO can be subtle at first. It’s so sweet to see a picture of friends having fun together, or a “perfect” family on a vacation. It’s starting to sink in that we are not included in the picture. We may even believe we’ve been excluded.
We spend hours on social media platforms, comparing, keeping scores, and confirming the deepest insecurities we have.
Definition
In 2004, the term “fear” of missing out was coined as images-based platforms began to open up people’s lives.
In 2013, it was defined as “a widespread apprehension of others having rewarding experiences while one is not present.”
FOMO can be accompanied by a lack in sleep, a reduced ability to function, emotional tensions, a negative impact on physical health, anxiety and lacked emotional control.
You can feel it as a single event, a long-term disposition or an overall state of being. It can ultimately lead to feelings of loneliness, inferiority or rage.