FO.MO, FOBO or FODA: do you suffer from any of these phenomena? Calm. Do not panic! They are just initials that, in English, mean a syndrome. We explain below what it is about. And, at the end of the article, we give you some tips that you can follow to start alleviating all this which, if not controlled in time, can turn into a serious health problem.
In 2004, author Patrick J. McGinnis applied the term FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out – fear of missing what is happening online), when writing an article on the subject. Later Joseph Reagle ended up repeating and emphasizing it, reinforcing the appearance of two other terms: FOBO (Fear Of Being Off – fear of going offline or Fear Of Better Options – fear of missing out on something better) and FUCK ( Fear Of Doing Anything – fear of doing something).
Let's start by talking about FOMO, as it is what often ends up causing the appearance of the other two syndromes.
FOMO:
It's the fear of being left out of events taking place online , whether in terms of stories and likes on Instagram or Facebook and/or other social networks. We feel that we are part of those wonderful stories and/or photos and that if we are not there we are not experiencing those events. We think that other people's lives - what they have and do - are better than ours. As such, we want to be part of them and we have to constantly go to social media so as not to miss a beat. We therefore live in constant anxiety that increases immeasurably if we are unable to do so. Serious: if we don't go there, we think we've lost a moment of our own lives!
According to some experts, this problem is not new and is linked to jealousy and envy. However, social networks have made people not only expose their lives even more but also show only the part that can, precisely, arouse greed in others: the best photos, the best moments, the best clothes, etc. .. In general, no one really shows what's bad about them.
FOBO:
FOBO and FOMO give rise to FOBO: Fear of going offline or discarding (losing) other options. The desire to often live on social media ends up leading us to everything else that the Internet has to offer. There have never been so many possibilities, so many options, in the history of humanity. Everything is fast, nothing takes long. And the human brain doesn't have the capacity for that. Just as we don't deal well with choosing one thing among many - because we're afraid we're missing out on something better.
So, there starts to be a certain panic at the thought of being offline . Because there is a feeling that you could be left with nothing. And, if this happens, anxiety becomes high and some people have severe anxiety attacks and/or even attempt suicide.
FUCK:
It consists of the fear of doing anything due to an excess of options. Both FOMO and FOBO can give rise to the FUCK syndrome. Anyone who is anxious by nature or is this way because they already suffer from at least one of the other previous syndromes may sometimes have a certain difficulty in doing anything because they become paralyzed, such as says the creator of this term. Example: when you try to choose a film to watch, on the Internet or elsewhere, and you can't choose any because the fear of making the wrong choice and missing out on the best option outweighs everything else. Or look for a recipe on the Internet and end up not making any, because the others also look good and " I wish I could make everything!", etc. You think that whatever you choose could always be the wrong choice .
Facts:
Before the selfie we see, approximately an average of 4 or 5 were taken that didn't turn out well; behind a wonderful video of a landscape there are often people who are crying; behind a photo of a plate of sushi in a 5-star restaurant there may be a loan payment that has not been paid and so on;
Young people and men up to the age of 34 are the most affected by these problems and the social network that has worsened these syndromes is Instagram . Win on Facebook .
Tips:
These syndromes are linked to anxiety problems. And to a mentality that is getting lost in the fog of illusory things. Your life, no matter how good it is, certainly has something that is positive;
Try to find the good things in (and in) your life and dedicate yourself to them more often, otherwise, without realizing it, your life passes by and you don't live it, learn or evolve;
If you go offline If the problem is access to documentation, passwords or access to bank accounts, start taking precautions by not saving everything in the clouds or emails . Continue to save your most important things and contacts on paper.
The practice of Mindfulness has been highly recommended in these situations. This is because the whole concept helps immensely in regulating stress and anxiety. Start with breathing techniques ( pranayama ), work on your acceptance by doing Self-compassion exercises and move on to different emotional management in order to begin to have more patience, less impulsiveness and more tranquility.
Vanda do Nascimento is a therapist, trainer and Mindfulness instructor at the Escola de Mindfulness Essencial , founded by her in 2016. She began her career as a teacher in 1997, obtaining a degree in Education. On that same date, he also began his studies in Reiki, Meditation and Mindfulness. Later, he embarked on the path of Psychology and delved even deeper into the topic of Mindfulness, in order to continue his fight to control stress and anxiety.
