Alpha Blondy Posted March 23, 2016 Fear of Missing Out By Linda Sapadin, Ph.D In case you didn’t have enough to worry about, there’s a new mental health syndrome on the horizon with a funky acronym. It’s FOMO: the Fear of Missing Out. Missing out? But on what? On what other people are doing. They’re having exciting experiences that you’re not. They attended the hottest concert in town and you didn’t. Their kids have been accepted into Ivy League schools and yours weren’t. And the beat goes on, and on, and on. FOMO is especially strong for those who are hooked on social media. Why? Because they’re constantly aware of what others are doing. Visit Facebook and you’ll view your friends’ faces with ecstatic smiles. Read their posts and you’ll find gushing descriptions of their awesome adventures. Person after person is having the time of their lives. And you? Well, not so much. Teens with FOMO are highly anxious that “everyone’s” chatting about a FB post and they were the last to know. Or, “everyone’s” hanging out at a party house and they were excluded. Or, “everyone” received a hundred “likes” to their posts; they only received a paltry 22. On social media, everyone’s flaunting what they’re doing, with whom they’re doing it and posts are loaded with exclamation marks!!! With such pressure, it’s no surprise that teens are checking their phone every two minutes to make sure they’re not missing out on anything “important.” Though adults may view the teen version of FOMO as a “kid can of worms,” they often don’t recognize their own version. Do you have to attend the hottest concert, sporting event or show because you wouldn’t be able to stand it, if everyone was talking about how great it was, and you missed it? Do you have to go, even if the price is outrageous and it means racking up more credit card debt? Do you feel that you missed out on an incredible adventure when you see your friends posing in front of the Eiffel Tower? Or when you view their incredible safari shots? Or listen to them gush about the fabulous diving trip they took to the Cayman Islands? Do you feel bad about yourself for not doing those things even though you thoroughly enjoyed your vacation visiting friends in Colorado? Do you check your social media posts so frequently that your spouse (or even your kid) complains that you’re not listening? Do you go on the defensive, saying, “I am listening,” even though your eyes are still glued to the phone? If so, it’s time for you to listen up. Your loved ones have a point. You can’t be fully there with them when your attention is divided. If your fear of missing out is strong, it likely will spill over to your kids’ psyche. A 10-year-old boy I was working with was terribly unhappy with himself. “Why?” I asked. “Because I don’t always get the best grades,” he replied. “What’s so important about getting the best grades?” I inquired. “If I don’t,” this sweet boy answered, “then I won’t get into the best college.” “And if you don’t get into the best college?” “Then,” with tears in his eyes, he replied, “I’ll miss out on getting the best teachers, the best jobs, the best friends.” Wow! What a burden has been laid on this young boy. If your anxiety is triggered by the fear of missing out, here’s what you need to keep in mind to live a good life: Remind yourself that nobody’s life is perfect, even if it looks that way when you see all the great things they are doing. Let go of comparisons that stir up anxiety for you. Instead, focus on what you want from life. Don’t miss out on what’s in front of you for fear of missing out on what other people are raving about. You can’t have it all. You have to say no to some things in order to say a meaningful yes to others. Relax, enjoy and appreciate what you do have instead of always looking at what others have and feeling bad about yourself. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/10/12/fear-of-missing-out/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bluelicious Posted March 23, 2016 Keeping up with the joneses is tiring and the reason why people are in debt and unhappy. Interesting read and no I don't suffer from it. Lmao at FOMO "Relax, enjoy and appreciate what you do have instead of always looking at what others have and feeling bad about yourself." Excellent advice on point. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alpha Blondy Posted March 23, 2016 @Bluelicious said: Keeping up with the joneses is tiring and the reason why people are in debt and unhappy. Interesting read and no I don't suffer from it. Lmao at FOMO "Relax, enjoy and appreciate what you do have instead of always looking at what others have and feeling bad about yourself." Excellent advice on point. loool@Blue, its crazy this condition. im not FOMO suffer but seeing how obessed people with other people's life is crazy. people snapchatting actual real time experiences is madness. what happened to living in the moment? people in the west need help. im socially alienated. if you're not on the social media and posting little exposes of your life, you cease to exist. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alpha Blondy Posted March 25, 2016 @Alpha Blondy said: so much hype surrounding the new Batman v Superman movie. i think I'll go and see it on friday. how can Batman even go against Superman? technically speaking Superman isnt a man, he's an alien. loool what a load of crap. a waste of time. no fight took place. weak characters. plot holes galore. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alpha Blondy Posted March 25, 2016 hi. im going into a period of indeterminate haitus. i shall be back around the autumn, God willing. good luck and see y'all around. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bluelicious Posted March 26, 2016 @Alpha Blondy said: loool@Blue, its crazy this condition. im not FOMO suffer but seeing how obessed people with other people's life is crazy. people snapchatting actual real time experiences is madness. what happened to living in the moment? people in the west need help. im socially alienated. if you're not on the social media and posting little exposes of your life, you cease to exist. True indeed but it's how you look at it. With everything moderation is key even snapchatting. The problem is when you're documenting every lil step you make that's too much and takes you away from the moment. @Alpha Blondy said: Sad reality of nowadays. Goodluck with all of your endeavours. Take care Alpha see you around Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tallaabo Posted March 26, 2016 I think Donald Trump has FOMO. I watched a programme about him on Sky news and it was revealed he protested when Forbes magazine ranked him somewhere between 250 and 300. He claimed he is a lot richer as his name alone is worth $2.5 billion :-D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arafaat Posted June 25, 2024 This is a historic thread, perhaps by far the longest thread here. Where is the legend Alpha Blondy nowadays? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maakhiri1 Posted October 4, 2024 It is , very long and interesting Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
