Conquering FOMO: Understanding the Fear of Missing Out and How to Overcome It
FOMO is an acronym for the fear of missing out. As we have entered a time where social media increasingly shapes lifestyles and adolescents are addicted to their phones, FOMO has become a psychosocial problem. Although it is not listed as a disorder, it greatly affects mental health and emotional distress in a variety of ages. The two major symptoms that come from FOMO are anxiety and stress. Other indications that someone may be experiencing FOMO include feelings of loneliness, exhaustion, self-doubt, or low self-esteem. A considerable factor that leads to FOMO is comparing oneself to others. FOMO stems from someone who feels unhappy due to missing out on experiences that others are enjoying. When comparing yourself to others, you may fear that you missed an opportunity to boost your serotonin levels or, in other words, to have fun. Social media could be viewed as the root of all problems that form FOMO in adolescents. Kids today, often called “screenagers,” tend to focus more on social media platforms than their own mental health. Continuously checking social media is a constant reminder of what other people are doing, creating feelings of FOMO. Social media also allows many people to put on a facade of happiness even when they are not truly happy.
Where can you experience FOMO?
Many adolescents experience FOMO in educational settings. Peer pressure in school can have a negative impact on a child’s mental health. Whether it is sports clubs after school, extra help sessions for a test, or parties thrown by students, the fear of missing out is prevalent in a school environment. Stress, anxiety, and, in a more extreme case, depression can be caused by this fear, which will result in poor academic performance.
Relationships are a prominent area of life where people experience FOMO. This can relate to the comparison aspect of FOMO, where people are always observing other relationships and how they compare to their own. This comparison driven by FOMO creates insecurity and can make someone feel like their relationship is lacking or inferior to those they see in public or on social media.
Lifestyles are a significant factor that can construct FOMO in one’s life. These lifestyle comparisons stem from where one lives, goes to school, works for a living, and even relates to romantic and personal relationships that trigger feelings of insufficiency. Even when people have a strong support system, they can still feel lonely and isolated due to the persistent feeling of missing out.
Three Tips for combatting FOMO:
Assessing the actual danger that you are in:
A psychologist, Aarti Gupta, explains how many people who experience FOMO trigger a stress response that makes someone believe that they are in a fight or flight situation. If you allow yourself to realize the imposing threat that triggered your anxiety and stress, you can calm yourself down and realize that this response is temporary and comes from an insecurity from your past.
2.Focus on the now:
No matter what you decide to do one day in life, you are always missing out on doing something else. If you go out to dinner one night, you might wish that you had ordered in and watched a movie, and vice versa. Thinking about what else you could be doing will only bring up feelings of FOMO and lead to stress. However, if you focus on the present and everything you are doing in the moment, you will be satisfied and confident with your decision.
3. Appreciate what you have:
One way to combat FOMO is to appreciate everything that you have in life and embrace gratitude rather than constantly seeking social approval. Comparing yourself to others on social media can make you feel as if you have less in life, but by recognizing the privileges that you have, starting with the little things, you can feel more content.
About me:
Hi my name is Gylian Amdur and I currently attend the New York University Silver School of Social Work. I am expected to graduate and receive my masters in Social Work in May of 2026. Prior to attending NYU, I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences. I recently completed the Health Coach Training Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. A fun fact about me is that I danced for the Miami City Ballet for 12 years and performed in over 30 Nutcrackers!