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Is your life full
of FOMO?
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The newest syndrome of our
competitive, tech-obsessed world is the Fear Of Missing Out — a result of
today’s constant exposure to information, trivia and gossip.
Wwhat it means to suffer from the FOMO syndrome, and how to combat
it
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Recently at a wedding party, I was
at dinner, eating with one hand and reflexively scanning my Blackberry for
recent Facebook updates with the other. Suddenly, an uncle said sternly, “Eat
your food first.” I didn’t protest. It was a little embarrassing to admit I
couldn’t go ten minutes without checking my phone. And this wasn’t because I
was expecting some important news. I just didn’t want to be the last one to
know about something.
Sound familiar? Then you, like me, might be suffering from the Fear Of Missing Out syndrome and you are not alone. Because of instant access and availability of information, many of us are constantly rethinking decisions, wondering if we missed an opportunity that could have led to a better career, better relationships, greater happiness or just a general sense of being in the loop. Seema Hingorrani, clinical psychologist and author of Beating the Blues, said, “As technology advances, FOMO increases. It has a direct link with information overload in the brain.” Chennai-based Apoorva Tripathi is a movie buff and likes to be in the know about new releases. “A friend told me of a Whatsapp conversation between my friends about Life of Pi. They were discussing how it will end and if it will be different from the book,” she said. Since Apoorva didn’t have a smartphone, she couldn’t be a part of the conversation and asked her friend to fill her in. Her friend told her to get a phone with Whatsapp so she wasn’t “left out”. Hingorrany believes that FOMO also leads to feelings of inadequacy that stem from, among other things, the desire to accomplish too much in too little time. Suneet Makharia, a chartered accountant, is an example. He often feels unsure about the choices he made when he sees what others have done. “When I was studying for my MBA, there was a 29-year-old Argentinian woman in my college who had just enrolled for a three-year graduation program,” said Suneet. “She had dabbled in bartending, teaching and a few other jobs before deciding to study.” Suneet feels he doesn’t have enough time to pursue his passions. “Though I claim to love travelling, I’ve hardly travelled that much,” he said. In the age of social media, it’s hard to ignore the FOMO effect. Those who spend a lot of time on these networks admit to attributing too much importance to likes, venue check-ins and status updates. “There’s this need to stay connected all the time, so much so that even when one is watching a movie there is a need to tell people about it,” said Apoorva. A nagging need to be in the loop of things can often question your own emotional stability, feels 23-year-old Zaira Lakhpatwala, who works at a communications agency. “Twitter is invading our lives. With the kind of international exposure we have today, we are seeing what others our age are doing the world over. When I see people in their 20s travelling and writing about their experiences, I feel like I’m not accomplishing enough,” she said. The advice that Suneet has for those suffering from FOMO is simple: “You have to accept that not everyone can do everything.” Hingorrany suggests reducing the time spent seeing what others are doing and focussing more upon yourself. “Don’t believe and scrutinise everything that you see. Instead, introspect and accept yourself the way you are,” she said. “The person who is most active on social networking sites is often the most lonely,” she added. |
Shikha
Kumar DNA121209
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