Mass media and fear of missing out: Millennials can't live without updates

By: Andrei Eunice M. De Chavez

Introduction

In the book of Oxford English Dictionary in 2013, FOMO stands for "fear of

missing out." FOMO refers to that nervous or anxious feeling a person gets when they

realize either they are not attending a social event because they were not invited,

could not attend, or they just did not feel like going.

While according to Franchina (2018), fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) refers to

feelings of anxiety that arise from the realization that you may be missing rewarding

experiences that others are having. Fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) can be identify as an

intra-personal trait that drives people to stay up to date of what other people are doing,

among others on social media platforms.

All through history, individuals have been anxious about their social standing.

But, with the growth of social media, FOMO has become much more of a problem.

Especially among young people who appear to be always online, reading friends'

posts and status updates. Teenagers/Millennials may therefore feel a little less cool

than those who attended the party and shared images online when they skip it, skip

the family vacation one summer, or skip the school dances.

In general, fear of missing out causes people to assume that they have a low

social rank. This belief, in turn, can create anxiety and feelings of inferiority. What's

more, fear of missing out is especially common in people ages 18 to 33. In fact, one

survey found that about two-thirds of people in this age group admitted to

experiencing FOMO regularly. Hence, more social media use can decrease our self-

and life-esteem rather than improve it. In this sense, it's essential to be aware of the

possibility that our efforts to lessen FOMO emotions may actually result in actions that
make them worse. Yet identifying the issue's root cause might be a crucial first step in

solving it.

Excessive worrying about what everyone else is doing only causes teens to

miss their own lives even more. In fact, fear of missing out causes people to keep their

attention focused outward instead of inward. This, in turn, may cause them to lose

their sense of identity and to struggle with low self-esteem. However, this should not

be surprising. It is very easy for teens to define their lives based on what they see

online. In fact, watching, critiquing and liking every move someone else makes online

is what leads them to constantly measure their own lives against these posts.

FOMO can lead to an obsessive need to be connect with other individuals’ lives

through social media, constantly checking to see what our friends are doing and if

they are having more fun than we are. Because we only see their highlight reel, we

may believe they live a better life than we do. This often leads to an individual feeling

isolated and left out.

Key Concepts

The following words are some key concepts of the said topic and it's definition

is based on the research:

 Anxiety - is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to

sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat.

 Fear- an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is

dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

 Fear of missing out (FOMO) - is an emotional response to the belief that other

people are living better, more satisfying lives or that important opportunities are

being missed.

 Influence- the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or

behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.

  Mass media- refers to a diverse array of media that reach a large audience via

mass communication. Broadcast media transmit information electronically via

media such as films, radio, recorded music, or television. Digital media

comprises both Internet and mobile mass communication.

 Millennials- a person born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s; a

member of Generation Y.

 Obsessive - thinking about something or someone, or doing something, too

much or all the time.

 Peer- one that is of equal standing with another.

 Self-esteem – is how we value and perceive ourselves. It's based on our

opinions and beliefs about ourselves, which can feel difficult to change. We

might also think of this as self-confidence.

 Social- relating to society or its organization.

Objectives/Purpose

This topic wants to aim the following purposes:

1. To create a culminating portfolio about Mass media and fear of missing out:

Millennials can't live without updates to know the perceptions of edited lives of

others.

2. To raise the continuous awareness of what an individual may be missing in

terms of a good time.

3. To identify the fear of social exclusion.

Procedure

The data gathering procedure includes the collection of data that is

accomplished in all the learning competencies by the help of interviews and some

surveys. The source of the data we based on the student's engagement in 3Mass

media and fear of missing out: Millennials cannot live without updates residing at

Fabrica, Lobo, Batangas. With the help of different resources and references the task
has been done and accomplished to spread the information and the awareness about

Mass media and fear of missing out: Millennials can't live without updates at the

young age. The students' involvement with the media and their sense of impending

doom served as the foundation for the data. The goal of spreading knowledge and

awareness of mass media and fear of missing out (FOMO) — millennials can't live

without updates —has been completed with the aid of technology in today's

generation. Because young people in today's generation exchange knowledge and

consciousness, which is advantageous in light of mass media and the fear of missing

out, interferences was carried out.