Commonly referred to as FOMO, "fear of missing out" is the anxiety or stress that arises from not being at fun or exciting events that you know are going on. And thanks to social media, we always know when they're going on.
Why do we love watching people's Snapchat stories and keeping up with their Instagram posts? Social media apps, specifically ones made for photo and video, allow us to literally see what others are up to. It's normal for us to want to know. We want to know how she does her make up, what they did last weekend, how cute the kids she babysits are, how many fish they caught. The list goes on and on for why we use social media.
So what does this have to do with FOMO? The problem with knowing what everyone is doing, how everyone looks, and the many other things they choose to share on the Internet, is that we inevitably compare our lives to what we see. The cliche piece of advice I can give is don't compare yourself to others, which is way easier said than done. But, before you get upset that the fireworks you watched on the Fourth were completely disappointing compared to the ones blowing up your Snapchat, remember that what you're seeing is what they choose to share on the Internet.
Someone else's life may seem more interesting or more fulfilling than yours because of how they present it on social media, but it's not. While you're sitting at home watching Netflix, wishing your summer was more exciting, and you see a post of some people you know having fun at a beach, don't worry about it. Because, the next week when you post an awesome Snap story, someone is going to see it and be wishing that they were having as much fun as you.
If you decide to spend a night in, don't let what you see online make you feel bad about your decision. I've been in situations where I'm the only one of my friends who wants to stay in. Normally, I don't feel upset about being alone until I open my social media apps and see everything they posted. A bit of advice from experience: the party wasn't necessarily as fun as it seemed on Snapchat.
The best cure for FOMO is to look away from social media for a little while. Do something that makes you happy and don't worry about comparing it to what other people are posting. Focus on the people and things that are important to you and you won't feel yourself missing out on anything.
