Where is FOMO taking place?
On social media. FOMO is an acronym for Fear of Missing Out, describing the anxiety over being flooded with incessant information. It was one of the buzzwords of 2011, voted by Members of the American Dialect Society; the others being “Occupy” Wall Street movement (that won majority votes) and “the 99%”, (those held to be at a financial or political disadvantage to the top
moneymakers, the one-percenters).
People text while driving, they interrupt one call to take another even when they don’t know who’s on the other line. They check their Twitter stream while on a date, because something more interesting or entertaining just might be happening. It’s not interruption, it’s connection. But wait a minute… it’s not really connection either. It’s simply the potential for a different connection.
Social media plays an integral part in our lives and no one can agree more than actor Pooja Bedi. “When I was in Bigg Boss’ house, every Thursday they would play the song We are always on Facebook, that clearly points out how socially connected we are. I am highly active on Twitter, tweeting sometimes 20 times a day. It’s not a PR campaign but a healthy means of direct communication with our people all over,” she says
And this dire need to communicate is not only resulting in a gadget-induced crisis of confidence but also, virtually paralyses a person when he’s offline. And, as if this was not enough, there is an application called If I Die which enables you to create a video or text that will only be published after you die.
Prahlad Kakkar is not active on social media, but the veteran ad film director feels that he is not “missing out” on anything. Every morning he reads two newspapers, which he says is sufficient to keep him well-informed. “People who are active on social media use it as an outlet for their opinions. But you need to remember a lot of it is biased opinion and often not factual. Kids today have no opinion of their own. With the likes of Google and Wikipedia offering ready-made information kids lack general knowledge,” he says adding that FOMO applies only to some people, the ones who are “competitive” and want to stay a step ahead.
Swarnlatha Iyer, HOD of Psychology, Christ University, gives insight into this phenomenon, “Social media caters to the child inside each one of us. They pamper us. For instance, if you are sitting in a boring meeting, you can easily send a text saying ‘I am so bored’. The thrill of doing that is what attracts people to it. Comment, share connect... it’s exciting and addictive.”
FOMO is an undeclared addiction, and the only way to avoid it is by unlearning it.
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