So many words are now used by its acronym. It's like we're living in a big world of IM chats. But enough with the ranting, has anyone of you heard the phrase, "Fear of missing out'? If you haven't, maybe you've heard it by its acronym, FOMO. And since many are already using acronyms when they talk to each other, so many people have said that this is the effect of using too much social media. However, you don't have to always be online to have the effect of FOMO in your life.
Dr. Joe Taravella, a licensed clinical psychologist at New York University Langone Medical Center's Rusk Rehabilitation said that the fear of not being in the loop may cause problem. It may lead to cognitive misinterpretation and will usually make people that they really are missing out on something.
The acronym FOMO was included in the list of words in Oxford English Dictionary in 2013, but there are people who believe that there is nothing new to this acronym, or even its meaning. According to Dr. Taravella, there are a lot of people suffering from this condition unconsciously, especially as the holiday approaches. He believes that the effects will even get worse.
He also added by saying that people usually have these feelings whenever they see other people who they think is doing better than they are. Those people who go with their family on luxurious holidays during the winter break. It usually makes others feel that they also want to have those, or that they can be so much more isolated and that's when problems happen.
There are a few things Dr. Taravella suggested to do to battle FOMO. He said the most effective way to combat this condition is to take a good look at the things you already have in your life, and not what's lacking. You should also take advantage of the holiday to focus yourself on making a better connection with people around you instead of living off people's online posts.
"It's important to have an attitude of gratitude and taking control of your life, putting yourself out there, reaching out to families and friends, making plans and keeping yourself busy," he said.
