Fear Of Missing Out, or FOMO, seems to be taking over this generation. It controls our lives and makes us work harder at trying to fit everything in the day. I'm a constant victim of FOMO. Whether it's going out on the weekends with friends or even just studying or eating lunch together, it's always there. FOMO is urging you to go out and do more, insisting that because you are taking a break you are missing out. It was not as present in years prior, but with the newer technology, there is no escaping FOMO.
FOMO has intensified with social media and other elements of today's world. We can see our friends' stories whether they are posted on Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, or Snapchat. We know what everyone else is doing with their day and they know what we are doing with our day. When friends post status updates and pictures of the latest and greatest going on in their lives we feel we have a ground for comparison. Say I went out to dinner with people but my friend couldn't join us cause she had a physics exam the next day. If she saw me post status updates/photos of dinner she would be jealous. Social media can quickly turn into a competition of who is doing more in their day.
Luckily there are techniques for dealing with FOMO. These techniques include writing down everything I need to get done in my planner and crossing it out as I go. This allows me to see how close I am to finishing my list. The disease of FOMO is easily curable -- it just takes time and effort. Turning off your phone and not watching other people's Instagram or Snapchat stories can also help with FOMO. There are so many days ahead of you, and missing one dinner with friends/family or one spring break trip is not the end of the world.
Life is what you make of it.
