When telephones were introduced in the pre-war era in the early 1900s, people started to have the ability to afford them and had them in their homes. They were not concerned whether it would disturb their downtime and take away their privacy. And a century later, the internet and smartphones appeared and became an irresistible combo. Since that, everyone wants to be connected, in touch with each other, and stay updated. With one click, you'll get the latest news, gossip, trends, whatever that circles around on the internet. This phenomenon created a new kind of feeling called FOMO, an abbreviation for Fear of Missing Out, a worrying sensation of being left behind on things people talk or discuss over on the internet.
Be the trend negative or positive several people will never want to miss out on these things. But it costs its price as well, with this constant fear and anxiety of being left out in a conversation you can't engage in because you don't understand the topic, and if you don't participate, it would be a bad idea. This type of fear unconsciously binds users to their social media 24/7, never wanting to be disconnected from the virtual world. There's no finish line for FOMO, and there's this unspoken rule where you have to reply to texts right away, see everyone's posts or even like them, grab your phone first thing in the morning becomes a habit of today. FOMO impacts on users' mental well-being have been a long discussion since the internet became a daily part of our lives. It causes burnout, anxiety, stress, inferiority complex, and struggle with self-esteem. The positive impact of FOMO is supposed to make users able to connect, discuss, or engage in conversation with others. However, it no longer serves the purpose to people.
People who have noticed the irony of FOMO find themselves a joy in disconnecting from social media. This opposite interaction is called JOMO, short for Joy of Missing Out. To be content with oneself and enjoy disconnecting from social media, finding relief and happiness in the offline world. JOMO has become an increasing trend and awareness in Asian countries such as South Korea and China, which are heavily connected to the internet. People from said countries travel to disconnect and be present, disengaging with the virtual world and finding themselves. It is indeed such a hard thing to do not to be on your phone, especially when you have nothing to do, are in constant need to communicate with people you'll always be reaching out for your phone without knowing it. But smartphones nowadays have a time limit for each app to reduce the time used on each application helps people disconnect from social media.
It's easier said than done, as people experience inconvenience the first time they try. Being unavailable and out of reach to other people can cause anxiety, but as it is a limited time off, they will instantly go back online whenever they need to. It takes time, practice, and willpower to miss out on all the possibilities. Eventually, it comes down to our perspective; how do we disconnect, disengage, and find ourselves in all the chaos in this world? Withdrawing ourselves from these unspoken demands to stay online and be consumed by them can give us pleasure from disengagement. This effort creates deeper discussions and connections with people IRL, which will bring joy in the end.
The whole point of JOMO is to prioritize ourselves and also be able to filter what we let opt into rather than what we're missing out on. There are many benefits to being JOMO, specifically being creative. According to the Academy of Management Discoveries, when we experience boredom, we tend to seek comfort in our creative sides. By being creative, we're allowing our minds to wander and daydream to help us solve problems. Also, there are hobbies that we left behind to be focused on our careers, friends, family, and social media. And when we're disconnected from the internet, bouncing back to our old hobbies will give us a sense of not only creativity but also comfort. JOMO also teaches how to manage our time, limit the use of social media, and make time for ourselves. It also reminds us to slow down, not to be hurried to achieve anything as if we had a finish line for this unspoken rule of being left out. We can take time to wind down and relax, be competent with our only selves.
