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How Social Media Can Cause FOMO and Ways to Fight Against it

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Boston chapter.

If you use social media, you have likely experienced FOMO, an almost indescribable fear that you are missing out in some form, expressed in anxious fears and worries. FOMO can have a wide range of contexts through social media. The Public Medical Center describes three context classifications for FOMO: “FOMO When Others DO Not Interact as Expected, FOMO When Unable to Interact or Connect as Wished, FOMO When Unwilling to Engage in Social Interaction, FOMO When Having to or Feeling a Need to Engage in Continuous Untimed Interactions, and FOMO When an Online Social Gathering is Expected.” 

FOMO has developed over the years through social media. Now that we can see everything online, FOMO is emphasized, causing many adverse effects for people. FOMO can harm an individual’s mental health. 

Since experiencing FOMO through social media can have adverse effects on one’s mental health, it is essential to understand what areas in a person’s life these fears may show up and what an individual can do to help combat them—any person who has experienced FOMO. 

Experiencing FOMO can be because of the gratification you receive when you use your phone. When you are restrained from the gratification of looking at your phone from anything, such as being in class or a meeting, it can express a lack of self-control for someone wanting to use social media. The Public Medical Center describes this feeling as “FOMO When Unable to Interact or Connect as Wished.”  

Some people may need to constantly check their social media because it makes their relationships on social media more powerful. This feeling relates to self-control, where individuals may need to check their phones when they aren’t supposed to. 

We are social creatures, and our survival partly depends on our ability to make our way through our social world, and having social media has completely changed this. Social media has changed the way people interact with their social groups. Before social media, there were more prolonged periods between social group interactions; now that we have social media, communicating with your social group is almost always possible, which completely changes the dynamic. 

Studies show support for children, teenagers, and young adults navigating online social lives. Public Medical Center describes the support as “confiding in an adult, talking about the experience with someone, being digitally literate, having parents who facilitate their children’s online media environment, and having supportive peers.”

A way PMC describes to help with the distraction of social media is “self-talk.” Self-talk can motivate your mind and encourage you to stay on track. An example that PMC provides is saying to yourself, “Do not.” There are many things an individual can say to themselves that are similar in directness. 

Avoiding feelings of FOMO on social media can relate to expectations and what PMC calls “managing expectations.” If an individual makes a post on social media with no expectations of a certain amount of likes or comments, they will not be let down if they don’t reach the amount, whereas an individual who holds expectations for interactions on social media can be let down more quickly. PMC states that the disappointment can lead to feelings of “distress and anxiety.” 

Overall, individuals who use social media must be aware of the differences between online and in-person managing their social life. It is also important that social media users know different techniques they can use to guide social interactions online and recognize that it is okay to take a break.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7504117/

Lily Oliver

U Mass Boston '27

My name is Lily Oliver and I am a writer at the Her Campus U Mass Boston chapter. I will be writing at least two articles this semester in hopes of learning about different positions in the chapter. I hope to continue learning and growing through Her Campus during my time at U Mass Boston. I am a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Boston currently majoring in psychology. In my free time, I enjoy going on walks, reading, and journaling. I have always enjoyed writing and am hoping to gain experience and knowledge through Her Campus.