FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is something we’ve all experienced at one time or another. In today’s day and age, social media only makes it worse. Whether you weren’t able to go with your friends or your invite was lost in the mail, you missed out, it’s posted everywhere, and FOMO hits. The social media platform where FOMO is the worse is hands down Snapchat. Through individual snaps your friends send you or seeing their stories, it’s almost like you’re there, but you’re not. Here’s a few reasons Snapchat is the leading cause of the dreaded FOMO.

Videos

For you OG Snapchat users, you’ll remember that Snapchat was originally just used for pictures. But in recent years, the video feature has been added, allowing Snapchatters to send videos to their friends. While you’re spending a night in attempting to catch up on school work and give your liver a break, your phone is probably blowing up with Snapchat videos. Your friends are probably out somewhere with loud music and pretty lights. They may even give you a screaming shout out in the video over the blaring music, giving you the feel that you’re actually there. But, you’re not. FOMO is what you get for trying be a good, healthy student.

Snapchat Stories

While you’re not with your friends, you’re actually happy they’re not sending tons of Snaps, and you think you’ve dodged FOMO this time. Until you check your friends’ stories. Snapchat stories (sometimes called “MyStories”) include a collection of pictures and videos that last 24 hours. So you get to see all the fun things your friends do and have done in the past day. The FOMO here is way worse than individual Snaps, especially if a group of your friends are all together. You get to see what you’re missing out on from several different views and the FOMO grows with each new story view. Since this story is up for 24 hours, you can live your FOMO out for a whole day if you so choose!

Geotags

I love using Snapchat geotags. I think they’re pretty and creative, as well as almost like a souvenir to show where you’ve been. As fun as these tags are, they are also a big factor to FOMO. Nothing says “spring broke” like sitting on your couch for a week and seeing your friends Snapchat stories filled of geotags from Cancun, Miami, and other warm and beautiful places. You can’t help but be jealous and feel some FOMO because you’ve done nothing all day but catch up on your favorite TV shows that day. Next year you’ll go somewhere nice for spring break and loose the FOMO for a week..next year.

I am an avid Snapchat user and love the app. It’s fun to take pictures and videos of your day and show everyone what you’re up to. However it also shows you everything you’re missing out on. FOMO is one of the worst things ever, and one of our favorite apps is definitely linked to that feeling. Although I never could, seeing things you’re missing out on in real time makes me want to delete that yellow ghost off my phone for good and live a FOMO free life.