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| The Oatmeal |
Social Media has undoubtedly had a massive impact on humans. Not only has it changed the ways in which we interact with people, but it also has a severe effect on us when we are not interacting; specifically out in the 'real world'. One specific phenomenon that predates our obsessions with Facebook and Twitter is the 'Fear of Missing Out' or now casually referred to as FOMO. Basically, it is the underlying anxiety that someone feels when they KNOW that there are people out in the world doing AMAZING things that they are not apart of.
We all have that friend that can't prevent themselves from posting what they are doing and where they are doing it, at any given moment in time. You know when they've showered, what they had for lunch, who they visited, and where they will be enjoying themselves this evening. That friend wants to make sure that you are aware of EXACTLY how much fun they are having while you are at home doing laundry and boiling pasta for the third night in a row. A Washington Post article from 2013 says that "FOMO is often associated with a perceived low social rank, which can cause feelings of anxiety and inferiority. When someone misses a party, vacation or other social event, he or she can feel a little less cool than those who showed up and snapped photos." While I don't doubt the existence of such a anxious state, I have a hard time understanding it on a personal level.
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| The Oatmeal |
Now, I spent most of my formative years without the added attraction of social media during my social development so it is difficult for me to grasp the psychological effects of seeing my friends enjoying themselves while I figuratively whiter away at home, anxiously awaiting an update on their whereabouts while simultaneously beating myself up for not being there as well.
What is even more bizarre to me, is that today, people will actually take time out of their live to advertise online that they are missing out - often followed by #FOMO, so that everyone knows just how debilitating the thought of not participating is to them. I suppose it isn't all that surprising when you look at the research that has been done on the topic. According to an article published by Texas A&M University back in March of 2016, "The average college student spends eight to 10 hours killing time on their cellphone each day, and when we consistently believe we are 'missing out,' anxiety and depression may set in." If you aren't out living in the real world, what better way to vent your frustration back into the same arena that triggered it in the first place?
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| The Oatmeal |
This real life occurrence based on passive online interactions is one of the reasons why social media as a whole is absolutely fascinating to me. It has undeniably weaved its way into our very psyche and will have a lasting impression on how we relate to others virtually and in real life. If one thing is for certain, I'm happy that my social development wasn't dependent on social media in the same ways in which it is today.
I had it easy...if I wasn't invited out I generally didn't find out about it until days or weeks later when someone accidentally let it slip, and in most cases, this type of situation avoided the entire FOMO-feeling all together. That, and I was more interested in music, art, and books than people...and books never post selfies that make you feel like you are missing out.
Meaghan,
ReplyDeleteI love the topic you chose to post about! Although I have worked heavily in the past with social media, I do not engage in many of the popular platforms of social media that my friends do. So, my lack of screen time has left me hyper aware of how much time my friends and loved ones spend on the assortment of social media sites posting about the ongoing of their lives—just, as you mentioned—to make sure all are aware of how awesome their lives are. What I always find funny is that while they are posting these things, and while other people are reading and looking at the post—they are all missing out on actual life. So, in a weird twist of irony, FOMO is actually causing both the poster and the viewer to miss out on what is actually going on in their present.
Yes! I agree, and could have written about this for days. I'm hoping to look at other aspects of this in future blog posts.
DeleteMeaghan, I really enjoyed reading your post! It is such an interesting topic. In some ways, I can relate to the whole FOMO aspect, but I also cannot. As an undergrad, I was not into drinking and parties.. I hated them. However, even though I had much more fun curled up watching a movie, I could help the feeling the next day when I would scroll through my newsfeed and see my friends "having fun at the party." However, if you talk to your friends after, the party may not have been all that fun... But that's what social media does, it let's people pick and choose what they want to post and how they want others to see them. They probably don't have a picture of them hungover the next day, or regretting some decision they made the night before, they only have the pictures where it looked like they were having fun.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I think it would be interesting to study more of the motivations behind this type of behavior. It is almost as if there is something wrong with letting people know that you just had an 'average' time last Friday night.
DeleteMeaghan,
ReplyDeleteReally interesting topic! From a personal standpoint, I remember having FOMO for as long as I can remember. I think FOMO is a natural feeling. No one likes missing out. Rather than social media being a "birthplace" for FOMO, I think it's more of an amplifier of it. In other words, FOMO is already a feeling most people are prone to, social media just makes it worse. To your point though, I wonder if future generations will "suffer" from it more
Meaghan,
ReplyDeleteWhat a interesting topic you are talking about! I checked my WeChat every morning when I wake up, just want to know what happens to my friends and family, because of the time difference. If they post where they went for traveling or how amazing the family parties are, I will definitely feel FOMO strongly. It is so interesting to discuss about this topic and more aspects, like how can we decrease this feelings or is it bad if just let it go.