First off, just because you may not know what FOMO stands for, doesn't mean you have not experienced it or that this doesn't apply to you. Actually, just from not knowing what FOMO means, you may actually have FOMO. Okay, sorry that got confusing, but don't fret, the Fear Of Missing Out is a nationwide phenomenon that you aren't experiencing alone.
You've all gone to somewhere, bought something or participated in something purely because you know if you don't, you'll miss out. It could be going to a sporting event you don't like, buying a t-shirt you don't know the meaning of, or even going on a trip in an atmosphere you know won't be able to stand. Thank you FOMO, thank you for all the things you've driven people to do; most of the time, you've actually saved us from missing out and even given us some memories along the way.
These are what I like to call the stages of FOMO: It's a process that will go as follows:
- Pre-event anxiety
All of your friends are talking about something, and in your mind, you're contemplating the pros and cons to determine whether or not you attend. You anticipate all the social media postings you'll see as well as the inside jokes and memories you'll never be able to relate to. This stage can lead you to two different paths that include you going or you missing out, but we're going to assume you decided to exclude yourself.
- Delayed Regret
At first, you're usually content with you decision. You think of all the productive things you can do instead and applaud yourself for being independent and making your own decisions. You then get on your phone and pull up Snapchat. You see three stories from your friends that are videos causing you laugh out loud. You then move onto Instagram and read captions that you assume are inside jokes from something that happened. You move onto your final social media check, Twitter, and see that all of your friends just recently followed the same new group of people. It's at this moment you realize you wish you were there. You feel as though you're being replaced and will never be able to the relate to the “you had to be there moments."
- Direct Communication
You decide to text the GM in order to ask how the night is going; secretly hoping social media is making out to be a lot more fun than it actually is. 10 minutes passes and no one replies to you and you know they're having fun. You might receive a series of short texts, but you don't want to be that annoying friend so you reluctantly tell them you'll catch up tomorrow. You decide at this point there's no better option but to simply go to bed.
- The day after reflection
You wake up, a lot of times with texts and notifications time stamped extremely late in the night (or as some would say, early in the morning). You meet up with the crew and hear about all the crazy things that happened. They scroll through their camera rolls and explain every photo while you attempt to piece together the events that transpired. Your friends can sense your feelings of exclusion and try and convince you it really wasn't that fun, but you know better, as everything they've showed you and talked about suggests otherwise.
After you experience this full cycle of FOMO, you tell yourself you'll never miss out on anything ever again, whether that means cancelling other plans or dragging yourself out. The fear of missing out can be a positive thing, leading you to do things that might be outside your comfort zone, or it can be a negative feeling that haunts you for weeks on end. You'll most likely fall on both sides of the FOMO train in your lifetime, but just remember, there's always something better that will come along that you'll be able to attend that will give someone else that same Fear Of Missing Out.
