Decoded: The Inevitable Relationship Between GenY and FOMO

We’re a generation of digital nomads who crave adventure as much as we yearn for a fat pay check. We’re a generation that is so scared to miss out on things that we’ve failed to realise what all we’ve missed in account of not missing the glittery affairs. We’re a generation that wakes up with the alarm clock of our phones and sleep under the flickering light of our screens. We’re a generation that is so obsessed with FOMO that we’ve become crippled with FOMO.

Fear of missing out (FOMO), as per the Oxford dictionary, is a social angst; an anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website. The inevitable urge to stay connected and be updated with everything that is going on in other peoples’ lives and with what others are doing is something that has overpowered our desires so much that we’ve actually lost connect with our inner desires and passions. We’re so interested to be in loop for everything that we’ve forgotten what really matters.

Every time we miss out on a social gathering or an update on our news feed, we feel left out; be it virtual or a physical in-person gathering. While feeling gloomy for a physical gathering is justified but our generation has a special knack of feeling all-sad and too sad for social media posts too. “Oh, did you see that sun-kissed picture of hers" or “Did you read his comment on that story?"

This concept of FOMO is trending so much these days that it not only makes for a click-worthy headline, but also for a curiosity-arising tool. Perhaps, the only phrase that has the potential to freak out today’s generation, other than ‘we should talk’ is that ‘you might miss out’.

All we’re trying to say is that while it’s okay to be connected 24X7, it’s also okay to unplug yourself for a while. It’s okay if you don’t read that status update the moment it has been posted, it’s okay if you don’t get that scoop the moment it broke on channels, it’s okay if you miss out on what’s happening in other peoples’ lives and concentrate on your own for a while.

We really need to break free from the clutches of updates that let make you weep (ALL THE TIME). Don’t let this fear of missing out in your virtual world get to you so much that you end up missing a lot in your real life.