Deconstructing the fear of missing out to construct your true self.
Introduction
As a college student, you most likely have experienced a sense of anxiety or envy when missing on an event. Whether it’s because you don’t have time to go, you need to study or you are not sure what decision to take. If that is the case, you had FOMO. FOMO stands for Fear of Missing Out. It refers to the feeling or perception that others are having more fun, living better lives, or experiencing better things than you are. Each person experiences FOMO differently. It varies in intensity and even triggers depression among certain age groups.
The purpose of this brochure is to educate the user. To help them understand, explore, and overcome FOMO in a dynamic way. The content has been created by bringing Insights from our own research and featuring our personal experiences of this Misunderstood social/mental Illness.
The deeper you dig in technology, the more difficult it will become to connect with yourself.
Why should we care?
FOMO led to negative social and emotional experiences such as boredom and loneliness. It impacts our mood, reduces selfesteem, and affects our mind wellness. It can quickly turn into a negative emotion which turns our day around. Aside from the increase feeling of unhappiness and extreme dissatisfaction, FOMO can lead to greater involvement in unhealthy behaviors like mood swings, feeling of inferiority & anxiety. It is important that we are aware that we have a mental and social issue like FOMO so we can seek help from a professional or help our friends if they are having it.
Take a look at this recent Fear Of Missing Out statistics: While FOMO impacts people of all ages, nearly 69% or 7 out of 10 millennial (23 to 38-yearolds) experience FOMO, the most in any age group. (OptinMonster, 2021) Around 56% of all social media users experience FOMO. (TrustPulse, 2019) In general, most of the emotions experienced alongside FOMO seem negative: 39% reported feeling envious, 30% felt jealous, while 21% felt sad or disappointed. (OptinMonster, 2021) 36% of people are afraid to feel like an outsider. (TrustPulse, 2019) Sadly, 26% of social media users who report experiencing FOMO fear losing friends and 23% worry about being judged. (TrustPulse, 2019) Over 60% of consumers are influenced by FOMO marketing strategy in making their purchases (Annex Cloud, n.d.) FOMO influences 6 times more credibility in the product that leads to purchase than the product description (OptinMonster, 2021) After looking at the statistic we can clearly say that when a person feels like they are missing on something that have a feeling of anxiety. These feeling are generally caused by see in post on social media. But they are also triggered during on line shopping or other activities. Fear of missing out has become a fairly common phenomenon, particularly in the digital age we are living right now.
Causes FOMO is caused by social media, so if we cut off social media then we should be fine right? Our self conducted research proved this theory to be incorrect as well as several scientific articles we researched during the production of this campaign. One of the team members found the FOMO level rises after 3 full days without phone and social media.
So what causes FOMO, exactly? According to the international collaborative multidisciplinary research department of biology, social science, and psychology, FOMO is caused by the negative self perception together with the increased social distance and a lost sense of control. The mixture of negative thoughts
lead to a tendency to select instant gratification, which social media has to offer through likes, shares, and comments. The people responses to the content give them a level of selfsatisfaction for this achievement, the platform decreases the social distance, and it allows them to gain senses of control over their own account. The next issue surfaces when they stumbled on the post of their friends having fun at a party they’re not invited to. That is when the cycle continues. In conclusion, there are several factor that contribute to the Fear of missing out. It could result on not knowing about the conversation, missing a TV show, not attending a wedding or party, or hearing other have discover a new restaurant.
People talk about FOMO on social media in a fun way to express that they really want to be somewhere else. At this point it is very common and normal to have FOMO. In my opinion, this issue should be approached from a health professional perspective to understand the seriousness of the problem.
Research Insight
Warning Signs
These are some of the most common signs that may indicate whether you are showing signs of having FOMO. If you identify Two or more of this in yourself. You need to take action. Start to make the choice of taking control of your future. Build the life you want with a positive attitude. You want to do everything and be everywhere. Always saying yes because you feel you need to go everywhere. You fear to feel out of place if you don’t do it. You don’t fully commit, in case something better shows up. You accept plans you like, but you are always holding out for something else. Thinking that committing to something will close the door to other options in the future. You have high social media activity You are constantly perusing Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. Your phone is attached to your hands. It is the first thing you check in the morning, then you continue with your routine. Social media is the strongest factor that fuels FOMO. Exposed to pictures, articles that can be totally fake and give us the desire to be just like that or feel the same way.
You feel negative or excluded when you miss out on something An overwhelming urge to have a lot of friends and be surrounded by them all the time. Suffers from being alone and constantly looking at the phone to reach out to someone. You feel that you can’t catch up with everything else Low life satisfaction. You are constantly comparing your life with others. You think others have a more amazing life than you, which can led to jealousy. It makes you feel defeated in this imaginary competition that life is. You are constantly concerned about others’ opinions Include clothes, hair style, occupation, family perceptions and overall lifestyle.
What you can do
Take a look at our supporting material to help you focus on yourself and get rid of FOMO.
When it comes to FOMO, changing negative patterns can be extremely helpful. This will help college students re frame their thinking and gain self-love and confidence. Keep a journal tracker Track how often they experience these negative thoughts and feelings. They can later analyze these with the help of a professional and determine a pattern, therefore they can identify what they might change to feel better about themselves and their life. Choose positive thoughts When they identify negative thoughts, they can redirect them by replacing them with positive words and affirmations. You can boost your happiness by focusing on positive things. When you add more positive thoughts, your brain will create relaxation and happiness. Technology breaks: Taking a break from technology does not erase the feeling of FOMO. By being disconnected
it may have a huge influence, but it is important to work on the other point as well. The solution for tuning technology off is to do something else like reading, cooking, or doing a hobby you like. Try to Limit social media hours to the bare minimum instead of scrolling endlessly through the different platforms with no goal at all. Avoid comparisons: Just because someone look perfect doesn’t mean they are happy or fulfilled. No one have a perfect life. We encourage you to appreciate all the things you have build up for yourself. When you stop comparing yourself, you find your talents and strengths. Be realistic: Organize your priorities and realize that there is the possibility that there may not be enough time to be everywhere and do everything. So naturally there will be events that you will miss. Remember that social media is fake. Seeing pictures of people having the time of their lives, may not be the case.
Practice mindfulness: Learn to focus in the present. This is a type of meditation that involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to learn to relax the body and mind and to reduce stress. Focus on what you are doing at the moment and enjoy every minute of it. Try to learn from the situation, relax and have a good time. Live one day at a time and enjoy every moment of your routine. Nurture important relationships: Relationship need maintenance. Try spending quality time with your family and close friend in the old fashion way. Small gestures and sharing the same space is the best way to connect with another human being. Ask for Help: If you feel you cannot get out of FOMO by your own or with the help of a friend, you should seek professional help. A professional can help you develop new strategies that you can use to plan a positive life change.
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