FOMO: Fear of missing out. That slowly spreading anxiety and sadness that overcomes you as soon as you find out all your friends are doing cool things and, to put it simply, you’re not. The only thing we fear more than missing out is the feeling of FOMO itself. We’ve all been there and are all too aware of the typical types of FOMO we face.
1. Underage FOMO
All of your friends are getting ready for a night out, you pregame together, it’s looking like the perfect night and then… they leave for the bars, and you’re stuck in your dorm alone with empty beer cans and no friends. It’s basically the worst being underage when the rest of your friends are 21. All you can do is picture the promised land that is the bars and patiently wait. Don’t worry; your time will come soon enough, young grasshopper.
2. Single-Friend FOMO
Being single is all fine and good until literally ALL of your friends are in relationships and you’re just chilling at home stuffing your face with ice cream and watching The Notebook. Half of your friends pity you and tell you to hold out because the right one is on his way as you third-wheel your way through life. And then the other half of your friends are so busy off being in love and going on dates to even remember your existence. So what if you end up as “that aunt” who gets too drunk at family parties and could never tie down a man? At least you’re doing you!
3. Night-in FOMO
Maybe you’re sick, maybe you have a stack of homework that could put the Leaning Tower of Pisa to shame or maybe you just wanted to spend the night in and get some much-needed alone time. That is, until you find out that all of your friends are going out without you and you’re stuck on your couch all alone tracking their night through your Instagram feed. Good news: Everyone’s having so much fun! Bad news: You’re not.
4. Stuck-in-America FOMO
Not only did everyone decide to study abroad, but they somehow all planned to go at the same time… except for you. So while everyone is posting pictures of amazing monuments and gorgeous towns, you’re living vicariously through your computer screen. The food, the sights, the guys! You’re so happy for them; you really are. But somehow the subpar food you manage to scrounge up in your apartment and the white walls of your American classrooms are just leaving you feel really bummed out… and left out.
5. Unemployed FOMO
This basically means all of your friends are getting real-life jobs and becoming successful adults, and you’re just kinda chillin’. Sure, you’ve been looking for jobs… kinda. But at some point everyone else went off and signed up for an amazing future, and you missed the deadline somehow. As if finding a job weren’t stressful enough, sitting back and watching while everyone else lands their dream jobs is just that much worse.
6. Spring Break FOMO
You’re so excited when your parents told you they were taking you to Disney World for spring break! Or, at least you were until all of your friends planned a Panama City Beach trip and you can’t go. What’s even worse is when you’re stuck at home while everyone else is away getting tan and living it up in a college student’s wonderland. As if seeing their many pictures during the week wasn’t enough, getting to relive their stories for what feels like forever once they get back is FOMO torture. You already missed out on it; now you get to be reminded of that every. Single. Day.
7. Being-Broke FOMO
It’s bad enough when all your friends are getting jobs and you feel like a failure at life. But when they’re all getting the newest smartphones and wearing the cutest clothes and you’re still rocking a slight upgrade from a flip phone and the same sweater you’ve owned since high school, the FOMO kicks in. Forget about peer pressure; you’re living off cereal and settling for a summer job to make ends meet while your friends are traveling the world, drinking century-old wine (probably an exaggeration, but FOMO tends to cloud our judgment). Maybe you’ll find a $5 bill tomorrow! But probably not.
Everyone feels FOMO from time to time. It’s just a part of life, and while it may seem like the end of the world when everyone is out having fun and you’re missing out, tomorrow is a whole new day: A new chance for adventure. Or even more FOMO… the vicious cycle never seems to end.