This need for relief often leads people straight to their favorite social media apps. “Unfortunately, by seeking relief in this way, we only maintain or even strengthen the anxiety that triggered it in the first place,” says Dr. Dattilo. While FOMO can interfere with people’s happiness and day-to-day functioning, it’s usually used jokingly (e.g., Just checked Insta and I’m experiencing some major FOMO). This can be seen in meme culture, social media, and even College Humor’s 2013 satirical FOMO Horror Movie Trailer, which got over one million views. It may seem hard at first to take a social media break—maybe social media is the first thing we turn to on our phone or computer, but believe me, taking a break from social media is worth it. When I first start to get an inkling that social media was hurting my happiness, I quit outright and deleted my profile.
Those who enjoy spending time alone are less likely to experience FOMO. The phenomenon is becoming increasingly common—in part thanks to social media—and can cause a lot of stress in your life. Sometimes, the fear of missing out can point to feeling disconnected from what you printing your own crypto paper wallet truly value as important in your life. Avoiding feelings of FOMO can often mean working on breaking negative cycles.
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- You might get addicted to your phone—the entertainment and the pang of positive emotions when someone clicks “Like” on your post.
- In this position, you’ll never miss anything that pops up on your phone, but your phone always has some of your attention, taking you out of the present moment.
- Since the advent of social media, however, FOMO has become more obvious and has been studied more often.
- While multiple factors likely play a role, the research also found that social media use and “problematic” smartphone usage were linked with a greater experience of FOMO.
“When we feel as if we’re part of a community and others approve of us, we feel better about ourselves. When we don’t get that sense of community approval, we feel worse about ourselves,” she says. As use of how to buy egld social media exploded since 2004, what McGinnis and his friends once considered a small, localized problem became so widespread that some health professionals now call it a serious concern.
Now, I am committed to developing a more positive relationship with social media. I take shorter breaks, often only a week long, just to remind myself that the less I am on social media, the better I feel. “A psychologist who specializes in interpersonal therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful with managing FOMO and making sure that you’re chasing your dreams in reality and not online,” recommends Dr. Sullivan.
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Gratitude can be a powerful way to alleviate feelings of depression and anxiety. Because you feel better about the good things in your life, you are also less tempted to go down the rabbit hole of social networking and FOMO. You may find yourself seeking a greater connection when you are feeling depressed or anxious, and this is healthy. Feelings of loneliness or exclusion are actually our brain’s way of telling us that we want to seek out greater connections with others and increase our sense of belonging. Spending too much time on your phone or social media apps can increase FOMO. Reducing your usage, or even doing a digital detox where you take a break from digital devices, may help you focus more on your life without making constant comparisons.
When we have basic needs that are unmet and we depend on social media use to satisfy those needs, it likely compounds the severity of symptoms we’re experiencing. Studies also suggest that FOMO is a negative emotional state resulting from unmet social relatedness needs. Congnitive behaviors connected to FoMO include compulsive refreshing of social media sites and notifications, heightening anxiety as an individual awaits the “reward” of a message or update. While some might interpret FOMO to be a motivating psychological force, research has generally found FOMO to have a negative impact on both mood and life satisfaction. It also has been identified as a precursor to what researchers call “problematic smartphone use.”
Going to therapy
Constantly experiencing FOMO may negatively impact mental and physical health—but it’s also very possible to enjoy social media without letting FOMO overtake you. Remembering that social media is only half of the story, as well as enlisting some coping mechanisms, can help you push back against FOMO. Cultivating a personal sense of belonging may also help you feel more in control and secure. FOMO, or the fear of missing out, refers to the feeling or perception that other people are having fun, experiencing new things or living a better life than you. And while it most often pops up when you see or perceive these characteristics in people you love and you’re close with, it can also occur with parasocial relationships. When you see people you don’t know but follow on social media doing really cool things you wish you were doing, it can have a lasting impact on how you feel about yourself.
The less attached to your phone and social media you are, the less FoMO you are likely to experience. Similar approaches could be used with computers or video game consoles. The goal here is to create a mental or physical barrier that slows you down and makes you pause for a second to think—Hey, do I really want to do this? With your improved awareness of the relationship you have to technology, you’ll likely have more success moving forward and overcoming FoMO. If you do not have time to make plans, even a direct message on social media to a friend can foster a greater and more intimate connection than posting to all of your friends and hoping for “likes.” As other studies have suggested, FOMO was heavily linked to higher engagement in social media.
Aside from increased feelings of unhappiness, fear of missing out can lead to greater involvement in unhealthy behaviors. FOMO has also been linked to distracted driving, which in some cases can be deadly. While multiple factors likely play a role, the research also found that social media use and “problematic” smartphone usage were linked with a greater experience of FOMO. Smartphone usage was related to fears of negative and even positive evaluations by others as well as linked to negative effects on mood.
Is FoMO a form of anxiety?
You might even become consumed by the cycle of negative self-talk, making it more difficult to manage and believe in your own sense of self-worth and self-esteem. In many ways, modern day FOMO is similar to the long-time phenomenon known as “Keeping up with the Joneses” — the pressure of having to meet or exceed your neighbor’s social status, wealth and popularity. You’re late-night scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, and suddenly, you stumble on a series of photos or videos of your friends or family having fun without you. Making plans with a good friend, creating a group outing, or doing anything social that gets you out with friends can be a nice change of pace, and it can help you to shake that feeling that you are missing out. You can change your feed to show you less of what triggers your FOMO and more of what makes you feel good about yourself. Work to minimize these as you ma in crypto add more to your feed (and life) that makes you happy.