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FOMO (Fear of Missing out) During Lockdown


Hi everyone! It's Matt here.

Ever heard of FOMO? Fear of Missing Out. It’s a concept that is synonymous with modern life. 

Everything is online these days and you have to always be seen to be doing something cool. Going to the gym? Better make sure you check in on Facebook. Meeting friends for lunch? Get those pouty faces ready. Hashtag Social Distancing.

FOMO is particularly associated with social media and mental health. Now, this isn’t an academic essay, and so I’m not going to produce a load of references, but I’m sure you’re aware that there is a link between social media usage and mental health issues. 

Photo by Polina Zimmerman from Pexels

Many of us don’t know a world without Facebook, twitter or Instagram. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just the speed that the world has evolved in recent years. We have grown up with technology as a second nature, and that has provided some handy skills for life. I remember once hearing about someone in a shop who could not figure out how to use their phone to pay at the checkouts, and they had to search the shop for a youngster to give them a demonstration.

But the downside of all this technology and virtual interaction is that life never stops. We need all the likes on our posts and all the friends/followers. 

The danger is that there is an unhealthy world of comparing yourself to others. A friend gets 200 likes on a selfie and we only get 190. There might be an increasing amount of anxiety left over how to get the numbers up. 

This means that we see things out of context – we don’t see the specific reason behind the likes. All that is available to us is a number. Likes don’t always equate to popularity.

Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels

Those extra likes could be for any reason – maybe they’re from family members who want to be supportive and doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more popular. Some of the likers may not have even looked at the post, they may have just been scrolling past, recognized the name of a friend and pressed like, before continuing scrolling. 

To go back to FOMO – we’re scared of missing out. In the current climate, maybe we logged into Facebook after binging on a favorite Netflix show for a few hours, only to discover a post that read “Hosting a Zoom call in 20 minutes, who’s in?!”. The host is a good friend of ours, but there was no invite, because it was first come, first serve. Dropping them a quick text to say that we’d love to be involved next time is a good move, as it will let them know that not only is it likely to happen again, they already have a good pal on board.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

I used that example to demonstrate that there is a world outside of those handy little devices in our pockets. 

Netflix has some great sitcoms. Ebooks - if you want your phone/tablet fix, although if you prefer a physical copy then there are plenty of places online that can deliver the following day. Exercise, particularly now the weather is warmer. Even cooking or tidying your bedroom. 

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels


The point is, there’s nothing wrong with having a bit of time to ourselves away from the virtual world. You can replace the selfie compliments with the praise for a nice, simple meal that you’ve just mastered after a couple of weeks of practice. “Hey, this is lovely, what’s the recipe?” people are eating a real thing that you’ve created, and you didn’t even need to worry about filters, pouty faces or a snappy caption.

Photo by Retha Ferguson from Pexels

We don’t have to be without our phones. Most of us see going without social media as going without our phones, but you don’t even have to turn it off. Our little devices are useful for playing soft music while we’re reading a good novel or keeping track of our daily exercise. 

I recently had a few days without the virtual world – pretty much by accident, it was sunny, and I was sat in the garden reading a book. After a couple of days, I realized how little I had been on my phone, but I also realized how relaxing it had been. Although I will confess that entering the online universe again was a little nervy, and that’s only natural. But as much as it seems like a million things happen online each day, social media doesn’t tend to reinvent itself over night. If a friend has got a new job and the likes are pouring in, they are unlikely to hold a grudge if your “omg congrats!” message is a day or two late. 

It is okay to have a bit of time away from the virtual world. It is okay not to check your social apps for a few hours. Reading books, watching television, trying a new recipe or going for a walk – there are so many different ways to spend your leisure time. Some of it will nourish your mind, some will improve your culinary and creative skills, and some will improve your physical fitness. 

Photo by Rahul Shah from Pexels

The best part about these things is you don’t have to try them every day, or even every week. You may find that you only have enough leisure time once or twice a month, to give a new recipe a proper go. But after a while, you could find yourself making extra time to do these activities more often. And that’s great!

Start slowly and see where you end up. If you don’t like it, that’s cool as well. There are lots of easy recipes to try and many different series on Netflix. You are your own boss.

We’re always glad to hear feedback at Stridi Towers, so feel free to let us know any tips or life hacks you have picked up!

Ciao for now.
M
 

Follow Matt: @Matt_jl_24

 

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