The Fear of Missing Out (fomo)

Some of you may recall a blog I wrote in 2015 about the fear of missing out or “fomo” for short. The term for this phobia has even made its way into some dictionaries. For example, the Oxford Dictionary on line includes fomo, a noun, as a 21^st century abbreviation for the Fear of Missing out. The Urban Dictionary describes fomo as an anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website—and the fear that if you do not attend you may be missing out on something great. It has also been described as the fear that everyone else is having more fun, more excitement and more rewarding or anecdote-worthy experiences. It’s the sense that all your friends are doing something cool without you. And guess what? Social media lets you know about it! Some have suggested that fomo may be the 21^st century equivalent of trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ or ‘you-fill-in-the-name.’ More tomorrow.