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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.
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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.
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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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.