We've all felt those FOMO moments.

1. Tuesday nights: Your head says, “stay in, it’s a week night. Do your homework. You can always go out this weekend.” But your FOMO conscience says, “everyone will have the best time ever… without you. This is the night people will talk about forever. THIS is college.” FOMO gets the best of you, so the next morning you wake up twenty minutes before class, rush through the assignment that’s due, and regret nothing because you went out AND got your work done. Kind of.   

2. Every vacation: Whether you’re traveling to another country, or just going away for the weekend, the essence of FOMO will linger no matter how much fun you’re having. Having your very own Lizzie McGuire moment at the Trevi Fountain is great, but what about all of the memories you won’t be a part of with your friends back home? And all of those inside jokes you’re missing?  

3. 3AM: This is the time when people go from being floor-mates to best friends. Things get weird. Things get deep. This is when people tell you their darkest secrets and the things they did last summer. You’re exhausted and have class at 8AM, but you don't dare miss out on this Ya-Ya Sisterhood bonding moment.   

4. Group texts: What do you do when you’re out to dinner and three of your closest friends are having a meaningful conversation about cheese via that group text? You grab that phone and hit ‘em with your wittiest reply. Snaps to you! Not only are you out and doing something that’s already social media worthy, you’re also not missing out on that pressing cheese issue.   

5. Sleep texting: That déjá vu feeling when you wake up and ask yourself, “Did I actually reply to that text or did I dream that I replied to that text?”

Millennials love their acronyms: OMG, LOL, BAE, DGAF, JK. TLGO (The List Goes On). “FOMO,” seems to be the newest abbreviation used by every twenty-something out there. In case you’ve been in hibernation for the past few months, I’ll save you the embarrassment of looking it up on Urban Dictionary. FOMO is short for, “Fear Of Missing Out.”     

The acronyms of today’s youth were once used to shorten phrases that were just too long to type out (because typing “oh my god” instead of “OMG” will definitely take at least a minute off of your life). It’s been proven. Google it. However, FOMO cannot just be added to the long list of text jargon. This “word” means something more. It describes the pain, frustration and agony of a generation. 

The statement, “the options are endless” has never been truer. Think about it. Fifty years ago there weren’t nearly as many stores, brands, restaurants, and flavors. Take a look down the granola bar isle (that’s right, there’s a whole isle dedicated to rolled oats in bar formation). Trying to choose between chocolate brownie and extra chocolate brownie with nuts is a challenge to say the least. Have you ever stood there and thought, “what if the extra chocolate has too much chocolate, but the plain chocolate doesn't have enough?” How about trying to pick a restaurant for dinner? There’s Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai, American, and so much more. Making big decisions has always been tough, but now even the smallest ones seem impossible too. With all these options there’s no wonder why people fear what they may be missing.      

Not only are options unlimited, they’re all shared on social media. Everything from dinner with friends to sitting with friends to vacationing with friends. Outlets like Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram tend to put endless options and unforgettable events (like sitting) that you missed right in front of your face.   

But trying to ignore the feelings of FOMO only makes us have more FOMO. So what do we do to nip this feeling of missing out? We juggle. We become the ultimate multi-taskers. We answer texts while having a face-to-face conversation, we don't sleep, and we do everything in our power to be a part of every moment. Rather than making one decision or plan, we make the most of our time in order to be a part of it all. And people wonder why we're so tired all of the time.

The acronym FOMO may go out of style, but it doesn’t seem like the sentiment will any time soon.