Do you have FOMO?

   

    Now, before you quit this post for such an unusual title, let me jump straight to the point. For all you cool millennials born after the year 2000, this abbreviation will be a routine part of your dictionary. But for all those like me before the 2000s, this word may come across as a surprise. Whether you know it by the virtue of your coolness quotient or whether you have heard it for the first time, FOMO is the new-age fear of missing out. Fear of missing out from social media, happening events, cool celebrations or fancy occasions, FOMO is the new trouble gripping us like the flu. Thanks to fast speed internet, virtual connectivity, dozens of social media apps and an interest to be ‘online’, this FOMO shall not go away so easily.

   Imagine your day from start to end in today’s world. With close association of smart phones, it is difficult to stay away from the internet. As every single detail gains an entry into our Facebook walls, twitter pages or WhatsApp groups, it is impossible to stay aloof. Call it herd mentality, peer pressure, fear of rejection or restlessness of being left out, our social lives have truly changed in every way. 

   

   While I am no exception to the growing trend, the blogger in me was tempted to touch this unusual side of our life in a funny way. Gone are the days of mouth publicity, when news of any good deeds were spread through talks. Today, all we have is an account on social media to broadcast every single happening event of our lives. Good, bad, happy, sad everything has to be recorded over the media apps to stay connected in the real world.

   Bad internet connection is our worst fear today as staying away from constant updates can affect our mental health! Such is the growing influence of virtual presence that it is necessary to undergo detoxification from time to time. While relying over these apps and websites for ease of connectivity, we may have erased the thin line between necessity and compulsion. Posting about every outing, meal, celebration or routine day has turned into a mandatory affair in order to be accepted in the society. 

    For those staying miles away from home, this facility turned into a convenience to be in touch with family and friends always. Yet, it can never justify the need to post the pictures of meal before actually relishing the food or checking in details at a location before exploring it completely.

   It is always said that it is essential to live in the moment, enjoy the present, make memories and treasure it forever. But with today’s inclination towards posting and posing, I believe this essence has lost its charm somewhere. The need to be active into virtual world may take us away from the happiness and joy in simple things. Unless we savor the present and enjoy it without the pressure to post it all over, we may not live life the way it is meant to be. In the spirit of declaring our plans, holidays, major occasions and events – we tend to stress over presentation rather than the actual content.  

  Looking at pictures of our friends or reading their posts and updates may force us to believe that our life is nowhere close to theirs. With this, as competition, jealousy, anxiety and anger steps in, it can hurt us in several unknown ways. Social media is designed for our connectivity, rather than dividing us on the basis of our lifestyle. Just because your friends post fancy pictures at exotic locations does not translate into failure of your own course. As each one of us have a unique journey to accomplish, the pressure to be in the ‘happening circuit’ always can turn into a pain.

    Posting every single detail of our lives, just to be acceptable among our social circle is truly the biggest mistake of our digital minds today. You can definitely paint the canvas without placing a close camera on your lives. While my virtual brain tempts me to broadcast details quite often, my grounded husband ensures adequate distance from FOMO for the both of us. Another unusual thing that depicts our growing FOMO is expression of feelings over the internet.  

    Why does a wife need to express love for her husband through long posts and poems over their social page, when it can be conveyed right across the room?

   Why does a son or daughter express all the love and affection for their parents over the internet, when all it takes is a phone call or direct conversation to say it all?

   Why do we need to wish our best friends for their special occasions through the medium of posts alone, is it difficult to meet and greet?

    Now, I am sure you may not completely agree with my views, but these are just few questions that do deserve some attention. Some of you may argue that it is the new-age expression of love, but I believe it can be contained and restricted in our own way. When such thoughts are raised, their aim is not to discourage us from the usage of social media, it is only to make us aware about its true requirement. Love does not fade away if we fail to declare it all over the world. No matter how loved, wanted and happy the virtual world makes you feel, some relations, moments, events and happenings are meant to be protected from the online pressure.

   Fear of missing out may last for a few days, but the regret of not enjoying every moment to the fullest may last forever. Our presence over the internet, likes over the photos, comments over the posts and praises through messages will go away with passing time. But our memories, happiness and joy will definitely stay close always.

    This does not mean complete boycott of social media, it simply means understanding its usage wisely. It is definitely essential to try out every new trend in the society to live life to the fullest. I cannot deny the joy of seeing likes over my own pictures or comments on my posts, yet it is essential to stay away from the fear of missing out. As social media is an important means for writers like me, I can never turn my back to this interesting invention. But, I believe we can truly erase this FOMO before it hurts us. Impulsive need to show our presence over the internet or match the happening course of our friends can pose more harm than good.

     As long as we can realize this trouble and recognize the entry of FOMO into our system, we can unplug our lives at the right time. It is not about knowing what to post, it is about knowing when, how and why that can prevent us from any troubles.

    Hope, we all stay away from this artificial FOMO, because we have enough natural fears to take care of!

P.S: Article of such a topic deserves discussion and arguments. I would love to hear your feedback and thoughts over the same. Just because I posed this article, it does not mean my absence from the social media, I will continue to stay connected with you always (but without any FOMO!!!!)