Recently, one of my favorite YouTubers, Ingrid Nilson, did a video on ‘FOMO.’ FOMO stands for The Fear Of Missing Out. I can definitely relate to the fear of missing out, especially because I have a hard time saying ‘no’ sometimes, and when it comes to doing things or going places my friends or family are doing, I’m always worried that I’m going to regret not doing something.
That feeling like I’m going to be left out or miss out on something really fun is the worst. I think that there are two different kinds of different FOMO’s that I’ve experienced, but I’m sure I could think of other situations.
The first kind of FOMO is the kind that comes with jealousy. If my friends or family gets to go somewhere, like an amusement park, for example, and I don’t get to go for whatever reason, and I’m jealous because I didn’t get to go that one time. Then I feel like the next time I do anything fun, I have to make a big deal out of it (or at least a bigger deal than it is), to my friends/family, so they know I didn’t feel left out or miss out on what they did, even when they weren’t trying to make me feel left out. I feel horrible and grouchy and mean when this happens. I feel grouchy and mean with anything “type” of FOMO, but especially this one.
The second is when I have the choice of whether to do something or not, and I don’t want to, but do because I have the fear of missing out. My cousins and I are really close (in relationship and age), and I’ve felt like I’m going to miss out dozens of times, when my sister decides to sleepover with them. I’m normally always invited along with my little sister, but sometimes I really don’t want to go. I just know that my cousins and sister are going to have a lot of fun, and I don’t want to be left out. I have to decide if I want to push through it, or not go and be okay with it. That’s a really tough decision, but in the end, in this situation, I know I am going to miss out and I should push through.
The dread that I feel when I feel like I’m missing out is just awful. But I have to realize that I’m going to do really fun, awesome things in the future, and I have in the past. And my friends and/or family are going to fun things, and sometimes we’ll do them together and sometimes seperate. But that doesn’t mean either one of us is left out or missing out.
Do any of you have FOMO? Are there any other types of situations you’ve been in with it?
