It involves a deep sense of envyand it can take a serious toll on yourself-esteem.
The phenomenon is becoming increasingly commonin part thanks to social mediaand can cause alotofstressin your life.
It can affect just about anyone, but some people are at greater risk.
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Is FOMO a New Phenomenon?
The idea that you might be missing out on a good time is not new to our era.
Social media has accelerated the FOMO phenomenon in several ways.
Social media creates a situation in which you compare your regular life to thehighlightsof others' lives.
People are comparing their best, picture-perfect experiences, which may lead you to wonder what you are lacking.
Related Terms
Inspired by FOMO, several other related concepts have also emerged.
Those who enjoy spending time alone are less likely to experience FOMO.
Unfortunately, the picture is not pretty.
FOMO has many detrimental effectsplus, it’s actually a lot more common than you might expect.
Social Networking Sites
Teens tend to use social networking sites at a high rate.
So what is the key cause of FOMO?
Adolescents and young people may be particularly susceptible to the effects of FOMO.
Because the teenage brain is still developing, teens may engage in such actions without considering the lasting consequences.
Life Satisfaction Rating
Research also indicates that FOMO can affect people’s satisfaction with their lives.
As other studies have suggested, FOMO was heavily linked to higher engagement in social media.
FOMO comes off as linked to both feeling a need to engage in social media and increasing that engagement.
FOMO and social media habits may contribute to a negative, self-perpetuating cycle.
FOMO has also been linked to distracted driving, which in some cases can be deadly.
However, understanding where the problem lies can be a great first step in overcoming it.
The following can help.
Change Your Focus
Rather than focusing on what you lack, try noticing what you have.
Work on identifying what may be sapping your joy online.
Work to minimize these as you add more to your feed (and life) that makes you happy.
However, you may find yourself noticing a little too much about whether people are validating your experiences online.
This shift can sometimes help you to get out of the cycle of social media and FOMO.
It puts you in the center of the action.
Making others feel good also makes us feel good.
Gratitude can be a powerful way to alleviate feelings of depression and anxiety.
Everyone feels a certain level of FOMO at different times in their lives.
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