The Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) defines a satisfaction that occurs when breaking away from digital technology such as smartphones and computers, and social media. The opposite from JOMO, “FOMO”, denotes the fear of missing out on something when disconnected from the Internet and social medial.
The generation of the so-called “Millennials” “Generation-Y” and “Generation Z” are known to have grown together with smartphones and to spend majority of the day on the social media networks, especially on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter. According to tech-critics, social media has far-reaching and long-term consequences on its users.
FOMO phenomenon
A prominent phenomenon of our society, FOMO (“Fear of missing out”), indicates the fear that some individuals may experience when missing out on events seen on social media. As defined by Cambridge English Dictionary, FOMO stands for “a worried feeling that you may miss exciting events that other people are going to, especially caused by things you see on social media “. FOMO has become a synonymous for aimless browsing through the social media news feed. No wonder that in the end, we actually end up missing out on our real life due to all the virtual requests.
The new trend against social media addiction
One secretly hopes for each upcoming summer to be the best summer so far. And, of course, you want to keep your followers on the social media updated on your summer fun. However, according to New York Times this could ruin your best time of the year. That is why they introduce FOMO’s “younger cousin” JOMO, which is short of “Joy of missing out”.
Goodbye FOMO!
Finding gratification in missing out on some events and taking a break from your phone may significantly help you free yourself from the Internet and smartphone addiction! Even the big tech giants, such as Apple, have introduced initiatives and new features in the past few months, such as Screen Time, a feature which tracks the amount of time iPhone users spend on their devices.
Often, leaving the smartphone in flight mode or just leaving it at home is beneficial simply for the sake of peaceful mind and a chance to fully enjoy the beautiful moments and indulging in a relaxation massage without being disturbed by beeping messages from your smartphone – that means JOMO.
Above all, it means you don’t feel a need to follow every trend- you don’t feel obligated to visit the Mediterranean, Paris and Barcelona in 14 days and post on social media about your trip. JOMO means feeling happy on your apartment’s balcony drinking your favourite smoothie.
We wish you a nice summer!
If you have experiences on the subject, write to us about it!
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