If you haven’t heard of the acronym “FOMO,” then you’re about to get a quick lesson. “FOMO” is “fear of missing out,” generally driven by social media and attachment to electronics. Odds are, even if you’ve never heard of it, you’ve experienced it – anyone who checks their social media (even if it’s just once in a while!) has. From the second I heard this phrase, about a year ago, I thought it was just about the lamest thing on the planet. As I continued to read and see this “condition” come up in the news, I found it just plain absurd, and really quite sad that people were ending up in therapy because their FOMO had gotten out of control. Search “FOMO” in any search engine and the results will be abound in the hundred-thousands, with articles that circle prominently around how to combat your FOMO, which really is just an extension of internet addiction (which affects approximately 6% of people worldwide).
As I thought more and more about this, I realized how susceptible our age group is to this condition; we live in a world where relationships can be “ghosted” and ended via social media, where updates are never-ending, where applications for jobs will keep you glued to the computer for hours, where cyber-bullying is rampant, and where the thought of missing an important part of a group text can seem unbearable. I’ve grown to detest the feeling of waiting for an e-mail to come in, the feelings of inadequacy when looking at the “perfect” lives of others, and generally feeling irritated by internet drama.
Don’t get me wrong – I love the Internet, and I’d be a liar if I said I don’t check my social media on a regular basis. The ability to keep up with friends around the world, send messages instantaneously, and research just about anything is truly a modern miracle. But I think we could all do a little better by being at least a little more unplugged. I have decided to unplug myself every day from now on, for a little while each day. It’s unrealistic to not check my e-mail or never check my phone, but it’s also unrealistic and unhealthy to be connected constantly. I started at Hempstead Lake State Park – I left my phone in the car and spent an uninterrupted 4 hours in the park. I started unplugging at work, out with friends, on day trips with my family – and lo and behold, life is better. Let me tell you why:
1. Screens
They are terrible for your eyes and your soul. The stimulation of refreshing Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and what-have-you keeps your brain awake and sucks a lot of attention from your real-life activities. I think we would be astonished how many times we say “ok” while on electronics without even knowing what we’re saying “ok” to (I know I am!).
2. You experience things more fully
I know I will never forget the time I spent at Hempstead Lake a few weeks ago. I might forget random days spent at home vegging in front of the computer, but I will certainly not forget the times that I allowed myself to be fully immersed in an experience, no matter how simple or intricate it was.
3. FOMO No Mo’
Here is the no-brainer: Your Fear of Missing Out will go away if you don’t feel like you’re missing out! Putting an end to the fascination with what other people choose to publicize, in addition to ending the worry about “likes” or comments, will cut out the entire need for “FOMO” to exist as an acronym. Putting the phone down, if even just for a half hour a day, will make life better –I promise. Get out there and live your life!
I hope that you’ll join me as I continue my effort to live my life a little less plugged-in. There is no getting around the necessity for these applications and devices in our lives, but we can certainly restrict how much we let them dictate our lives. It would be a shame for us to all have fried our brains so young!
On your own journey to be unplugged? Let us know in the comments below!