While I love being at college and being involved in the “culture” at UMass, I’ve found myself experiencing extreme FOMO in many instances this semester. For those who do not know, FOMO means “fear of missing out,” and it is real. If you think about it, because we spend every single day on a huge campus with thousands of students, it is so easy to feel left out or feel compelled to compare yourself to others. For example, basic things like seeing a group of friends eating at the dining hall while you are sitting alone can really affect you. Another situation could be hearing a bunch of people hanging out on your floor while you are in your room studying alone. Not only do in-person situations create major FOMO, but social media plays a huge role in it as well.
After being at home for over three months this summer, it was a hard transition coming back to a campus like UMass. There is a constant hustle and bustle of student life and activities, and at some point, it is really difficult to keep up with. We are constantly around peers who have similar interests and social drives as us. When you hear or see your friends being involved in so many things or going to a certain social event, you can’t help but stop and wonder why you aren’t doing the same. FOMO is a weird thing because I do not even have to know any of the people or have any interest in the activity to feel left out. It is just the idea that can get to you. For example, probably the worst weekend in college for people who have serious FOMO is Halloweekend. Whether it is walking through your building and seeing group costumes or scrolling endlessly on Instagram and seeing everyone’s pictures, it is hard to pull yourself back to reality.
Being in college has many pros, but the cons at this point in life are not even limited to things like hard classes or not being able to find an internship. Unfortunately, it feels like the main cons are things like comparing yourself to others and feeling like you are not up to the “standard.” There’s always that feeling that people are having more fun, being more social, and living better lives than you. You almost want to find that person that is also eating alone or also not going out on a Friday night just to make yourself feel better. But, the thing with FOMO and comparing ourselves to others is that in our heads, we idealize everyone else’s lives. In reality, we have no idea if they are feeling the same way as us because we would never see that from the outside. With social media and constant real-life interactions, the world has never been more connected as it is now. I have to resist the illusion that is FOMO and truly enjoy every moment more.
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