Has the Doctor Diagnosed You With FOMO?

We are the generation of social media. We are constantly sharing and receiving content like it is our job (and sometimes it is). However, our dependency on social media is a double-edged sword. Our generation has been diagnosed with FOMO: the fear of missing out. A study by Harris Interactive and MyLife found that two out of every three people experience some sort of anxiety or fear of missing important events or status updates on social media. From Twitter, to Instagram, to Facebook and beyond, we fear that we are missing out on visiting the best vacation destinations, achieving the greatest success, and attending exclusive events. Some of us even fear that we will miss out on using the latest trending hashtags.  There is a lot of pressure to share the latest and greatest content on social media and keep up with everyone’s business, but there is no need to worry. There are ways to combat FOMO:

• Accept that you cannot be everywhere all the time.  You might scroll through your Twitter feed and read about all the fun things your followers are doing while you’re procrastinating from doing your homework. Everyone has different schedules and different responsibilities. There is only so much time in the day, and you must determine what is most important. 
• Schedule your time on social media.  Five minutes on social media can become an hour without you even realizing it. Schedule specific times in the day to check your social media. This will relieve the anxiety and stress of constantly checking social media for updates.
• Make your own plans. If you’re tired of scrolling through your followers’ tweets and Instagram posts as they enjoy a relaxing vacation on the beach or eat at a famous restaurant, make plans so that you can create your own experiences (and share them on social media if you would like).
• Live in the moment. Instead of being glued to your phone, take a break and enjoy your surroundings. There is a difference between tweeting about an event and actually experiencing it.

People only share what they want others to see on social media. Go out, get involved, and make memories of your own! Although social media platforms are helpful tools to share and receive information, they shouldn't dictate how you live your life.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Megan Healy.