FOMO (fear of missing out): what it is, symptoms, causes and how to avoid it

FOMO is the fear of not knowing what other people are doing, leading to feelings of anxiety that greatly impact activities of daily living, as well as productivity at work. FOMO stands for “fear of missing out“, which in Portuguese means something like “fear of being left out”.

People who have FOMO end up having a constant need to update themselves on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Youtubeeven at night, at work, during meals or while driving, which can sometimes pose a safety hazard.

All these behaviors are the result of the anguish caused by the insecurity of living offline and can generate anxiety, stress, bad mood, discomfort or even depression.

Main symptoms

Some of the characteristic symptoms of people with FOMO are:

• Dedicating a lot of time to social media, such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram or Twitterconstantly updating the feed of news;
• Accept proposals for all parties and events, for fear of missing something or feeling excluded;
• Use the smartphone all the time, even during meals, while working or driving;
• Don’t live in the moment and worry about photos to post on social media;
• Constantly waiting for new notifications to appear on your cell phone;
• Being frequently in a bad mood, easily irritable and preferring to be alone.

In some cases, FOMO can even result in cases of anxiety and even depression. Find out your anxiety level through our online test.

Possible causes

FOMO seems to be more common in cases of social isolation, such as what happens during the COVID-19 pandemic, or when the person has an illness that does not allow them to leave the house, or when they need to undergo major surgery that is necessary. longer recovery time.

In these situations, as there is no direct social contact, the person is afraid of missing what their colleagues at work or school are doing, which generates constant anxiety to check social networks.

FOMO is most common between the ages of 16 and 36, which is the age period in which social media is most used.

What to do to avoid FOMO

Some strategies that can be adopted to avoid FOMO are:

• Live the moments instead of posting them on social media;
• Prioritize the people who are nearby;
• Reduce the use of smartphones, tabletscomputers or any other device with internet;
• Internalize that people who post content on the internet do not have perfect lives and that they choose the best moments to share.
• Spend your free time with other activities, such as reading, watching movies, playing board games or walking your pet.

If necessary, and if the person is suffering from anxiety or severe discomfort due to FOMO, it is advisable to consult a psychologist.