#FOMO How social media is plaguing the millennial mind.
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by ELIZABETH MEEK
hat compulsion.
You’re waiting for a bus, or sitting in a restaurant, or you could even be at a crowded party, and you can’t help but check your phone and scroll through your social media feed. We all do it; it’s part of the societal desire to be connected and constantly stimulated but like many compulsive habits, it can also lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. For some social media users, the fear of missing out (FOMO) keeps them tethered to their devices, deepening feelings of inadequacy and loneliness. Nobody wants to feel left out, and no one wants to believe that their lives might not be as fulfilling as their friends’. Social media is an effective and efficient way to stay connected, share our views, or update others about our lives, but it comes at a cost. Problems arise when we start comparing our reality to others’ virtual lives, and begin to feel unsatisfied with our own reality. This is a real issue, and sociologists are taking notice. The 2011 study “Misery Has More Company Than People Think” from Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, suggests that
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we are only capable of viewing other’s emotional experiences and lives in the context of a social setting, but because social media portrays a limited view of others’ emotional experiences, we perceive their lives to be better than they are in reality. Another study, “Social Media Use and Mood Disorders: When Is It Time to Unplug?” from a 2017 issue of American Family Physician, revealed that more time spent on multiple social media platforms increased the likelihood of anxiety and depression. Learning to use social media mindfully can help make it a positive experience, even for those who find it brings them to a dark and lonely place. In the 2016 article, “Motivators of Online Vulnerability: The Impact of Social Network Site Use and FOMO,” from Computers in Human Behavior, describes the phenomenon as “a psychological state in which people become anxious that others within their social spheres are leading much more interesting and socially desirable lives.” The negative impact of this psychological state is an addiction to the devices that connect you. The compulsion that FOMO PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
