Almost everyone has heard the phrase Fear Of Missing Out or FOMO. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as – anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media. I see and hear this so often, especially in younger people. I thought I would miss it when I dropped Twitter and Facebook in 2019 (I never had Instagram or TikTok).
Not once. Nope. Not even a tiny little bit.
I chose to be LinkedIn only because I only use social media for my business. I sign on twice daily, create posts, comment, and am off in five minutes or less.
JOMO
JOMO stands for the Joy Of Missing Out and was coined by productivity expert Tanya Dalton, who wrote the book Joy Of Missing Out: Live More By Doing Less. I appreciate JOMO, and it's fun to say, but I don't use it because I honestly don't feel like I'm missing anything.
I do not miss taking strangers, peers, or even my friends to bed with me in the early morning or late at night. Only my husband is allowed in there.
I do not miss being distracted by what my friend Casey posts online when my friend Cindy sits across from me.
Joy Of Opting Out
I coined the term Joy Of Opting Out in my book, Work Well. Play More! Productive, Clutter-Free, Healthy Living – One Step at a Time. I'm not missing anything. I'm opting out of seeing everyone's best selves that they post online or being a voyeur to people I only care a little about instead of spending time with people I do. I'm opting out of being inundated with ads that tell me I don't look young enough, my jeans are out for this season, and that I should really buy the latest bestseller.
I'm opting out of medical misinformation, deciphering what's real or fake news, and clickbait headlines.
I've never felt like I'm not informed enough. I still get news; I get it from news channels intentionally, not letting it just show up in a feed somewhere.
I still buy clothes and shop, but I typically go to a site when I want something, not because I've seen something I must have while I'm just looking at a friend's vacation photos.
Have I missed things? Well, maybe. Maybe I missed the photos of someone's newborn baby or their latest kitchen remodel. But if I'm close enough to them to care, I can also reach out personally and ask them to share their favorite pic. But quite frankly, I don't know if I've missed anything because I've also opted out of feeling the need to keep up with everything and everyone. I have my circle, and I reach out to them directly. I know I won't always be privy to the latest memes or inside jokes, and that's okay. The time, energy, and peace I get back are well worth the opt-out.
Is there something you are spending your time on…whether it's a social media channel, parties or events you don't like attending, a class you drag yourself to, or anything you would find joy in by opting out and filling that time or space with something else? I'm not anti-social media if it's used intentionally and you feel happy and good about yourself when you're done using it. I'm not against anything done with intention because you want to do it, not because you feel like you're missing out.
Remember, you're opting out…you aren't missing anything.
