The fear of missing out equals FOMO.
FOMO is something we start to feel in middle school and continue to feel all the way through college. I would assume it prevails throughout the duration of our lives, but as a current college student, I can only hope that it gets much easier to manage. Although for now, I would like to share some thoughts on how to tackle your fear of missing out.
Feeling left out is an age-old dilemma, but I believe it has worsened with the widespread of social media. You see, before Facebook, Twitter, etc. people didn't even know they were missing a big party or event until the next school day or time they saw their friends in person, but now, if we are not there, we are constantly reminded of the "fun" they are having without us through Snapchat and Instagram posts. One of the worst feelings for someone our age occurs when we are laying in bed alone and watching a group of people laughing, dancing, or doing something wild on someone else's story. It makes you wish you were there and you immediately regret your decision to stay home.
Therefore, I think it is important to steer clear of social media when you know there is something going on that you can't attend. Only Snapchat and text the people you NEED to communicate with and save the rest for tomorrow. This may seem hard at first, but it will significantly help prevent your FOMO.
Also, just remind yourself that every post glorifies the truth. No one wants to post something that makes them or what they are doing look lame, so it is important to realize that most parties or hangouts are actually half as fun as they look on social media. For example, think of all the times you have made posts and what they were. We only post the most outrageous parts of the night, not the boring parts and it is only when you and the people you are with look the best, not when you all have been out for a while and are are hitting the low points of the night. So, when you see your friend's posts, just know that it is not a true representation of how their night is really going, it is only the parts they want you to see.
Another way to deal with FOMO when you know you need to stay in and be productive, is to ask yourself this question: Will this matter in ten years? If the answer is no and going out that night won't make a huge difference in the procession of your life, then you should stay home and finish that paper that is due tomorrow or just relax and catch up on sleep. It is imperative that we are able to ask ourselves this question because if going to a certain event won't impact our lives in ten years then it is not that essential to go out and when the FOMO starts to kick in, we can remind ourselves of its unimportance, in order to stay confident in our decision not to go.
Lastly, it is true that every once in a while we NEED to have alone time and skip the big party or event in order to take care of ourselves and our responsibilities. This doesn't make us lame or weak, we just know how to prioritize our lives. So, next time the FOMO hits, remind yourself of this quote by Oscar Wilde:
"I think it's very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person."
