The vexing feeling of missing out on life is something we have all experienced. Most of the time, when FOMO, or "Fear Of Missing Out", strikes we usually have our smartphones near, checking e-mails, Facebook notifications, or flicking through Instagram.
Been preaching #JOMO for over 2 years. @apple @Google @LaddersHQ glad you guys are finally getting on the bandwagon. https://t.co/INEkxZUw8J
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) July 20, 2018
It was about time that a new acronym gained popularity, spreading hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel of perpetual unfulfillment. JOMO or the "Joy Of Missing Out" makes opting out seem cool for the first time in years since smartphones and social media swept the world off its feet.
READ MORE: 13 Reasons To Forget The Weekend FOMO
JOMO is basically how we used to live before the likes of Facebook and Instagram started messing with our heads, telling us that unless something is captured online, it never really happened. JOMO is the terrifying idea that it’s okay to ignore the digital universe and unplug for a while. Moreover, it’s perfectly fine to focus on the here and now without feeling guilty about it.
I find JOMO to be one of the best parts of summer! #JOMO https://t.co/6TjwpdE7dr
— Livia Christensen (@LiviaEvaC) July 20, 2018
As the New York Times explains, JOMO, apart from being a cool acronym, is just another name for the age-old wisdom about being present. For starters, we can’t really be present if we see the world through Instagram goggles. What’s more, in the recent years, digital addiction has been normalized as simply a new way of life. We constantly check on emails, online messages, and photos of people we never really talk to in person because that’s what we are supposed to be doing. Right? Not quite so.
I heard JOMO (opposite of FOMO) for the first time and I’ve never felt so understood. #introvert #JOMO
— Jessi Fraccaro (@jessifraccaro) July 20, 2018
Despite feeling so nasty and unpleasant, FOMO causes young people to spend more time online. It has been called the first social media disease that is linked to anxiety, neuroticism, alcoholism, low self-esteem, and suicide. Scientists feel that they now need to focus more on “digital wellbeing” and keep at bay digital binging as much as possible.
So next time you feel like you’re fed up with FOMO, please know you have a choice. Just unplug and let JOMO take over. There will be no likes and follows, but you might have the time of your life. And if this still matters to you, it’ll be too cool for the world to know about it.
READ MORE: 15 Reasons FOMO Is Bad For You
