Social Comparison, Social Media, & FoMO
Social comparison is defined as the evaluation of one’s own social and personal value based on comparison with others (Psychology Today 2018). No matter our intentions for this comparison, it is an innate human quality that is openly manifested in the way we view ourselves.
The tendency to compare our personal value is further accentuated by the age of social media we currently live in. Chances are you’ve heard of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the biggest culprit, Instagram. These social media platforms provide a near effortless opportunity to compare your life to that of others in an immediate, and often exaggerated scale. How many times have we scrolled through our feed, see an update on the incredible things our social media “friends” are doing, and feel that undeniable pit in our stomachs? We feel that rush of adrenaline as the fight or flight response kicks in, and we think to ourselves: “What exactly am I doing with my life?”, as we descend into an existential crisis comforted by a tub of ice cream and a 3 hour Netflix binge.
My brother and I were talking about this at the dinner table one night, and he pointed out that this was very similar to FoMO. I didn’t understand what FoMO was until he said it was an acronym for “Fear of Missing Out” – a pervasive form of anxiety perpetuated by the fear of missing out on social and/or life events as perceived from others. A fear that is propagated, now more than ever, by much of social media.
FoMO has some undesirable negative consequences on health, both physically and mentally. According to (Milyavskaya, Saffran, Hope & Koestner, 2018), individuals who experience recurrent FoMO reported an increase in the frequency as well as the prevalence of negative emotions and thoughts, along with an increase in stress and a decrease in sleep. This lead to overall decreases in reported academic performance, workplace performance, and life satisfaction. In addition to this, FoMO can also cause an individual to be distracted from the present moment by focusing on what they could be doing rather than what they actually are doing. Being in the present is known as mindfulness, which, conversely, can be an effective remedy in reducing feelings of FoMO. So stop worrying about what fancy dinner Todd is eating tonight, and focus on what you’re doing instead, along with all the wonderful things associated with it.
FoMO has been a prominent factor contributing to the rise of depression among teenagers and young adults (Baker, Krieger & LeRoy, 2016). As such, it deserves significant attention in order to combat the surge of depressive as well as physical symptoms triggered by this phenomena. Through increased education and understanding, feelings of FoMO can be effectively reduced, leading to individuals living a healthier and happier life. A good reminder to yourself is that pictures on social media don’t represent the whole reality. Take the time to think for yourself and focus on your own journey. I’ve personally found that being grateful for the little things in life to be very helpful. Things such as being able to have dinner with my family, or having the money to treat myself to a movie. Limiting the amount of time spent on social media, and increasing the amount of time spent on the real world can be especially beneficial. Take the time to preserve your emotional health, it will pay off in the long run. (:
