Living a life online

Apr 12, 2011

Sometimes it’s exhausting. Checking into this venue or that. Scanning Twitter. Facing up to Facebook. Uploading a lifestream…

And of course we need to be mindful of the people sitting right next to us IRL, who may or may not share our social convictions…

In last Sunday’s New York Times, an article about all the wonderful experiences our online friends have that we may not or may not be a part of talked about FOMO – the Fear Of Missing Out (yipes-once something gets an acronym-you know it’s a major concern :)).  

FOMO is similar to the guilt we feel whenever we’re faced with a choice that involves selecting one option over another. Especially challenging since the lure of a tweet-up is so hard to resist…

Truth is, there’s much to do at any given moment whether online, IRL or in that place where the two worlds collide.

So come on. It doesn’t take a social media guru to know we can’t have everything. Is our S.A.D. that bad? Instead of FOMO, I say GOFOMO – that is, Get Over Fear of Missing Out!  It’s as easy as following Crosby Stills Nash and Young’s sage advice.

And then… FOMO will become yet another silly fear we’ve conquered and (hopefully) the acronym can be applied to an affliction that really needs it.

About Martin Waxman


Martin Waxman, MCM, is a digital communications strategist. He conducts AI research, leads digital and social media training workshops and speaks at events across North America. He's co-founder of two PR agencies, president of a consultancy and has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years. Martin is a LinkedIn Learning instructor, teaches digital strategy and social media at McMaster University, the Schulich School of Business, University of Toronto SCS and Seneca College. He's a member of the Institute for Public Relations Digital Media Research Center and a past-chair of PRSA Counselors Academy. He has a Master of Communications Management (MCM) from McMaster-Syracuse Universities.

3 Comments

  1. Michaela
    Michaela on April 19, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    I like the GOFOMO, I definitely agree with you. Why should people be complaining about missing out when every other person has an iphone or a smart phone that can search the internet, and what is there to miss? The score of the baseball game, or the newest cooking recipe on the food network? It just doesn’t make sense to me.

    Reply
    • Martin Waxman
      Martin Waxman on April 22, 2011 at 10:10 am

      Thanks for your thoughts! I guess it’s a bit like looking in a store window and realizing we can’t have everything.

      Reply
  2. Cody
    Cody on April 15, 2011 at 7:53 pm

    This is an interesting concept. I’ve never thought about, or knowingly had FOMO; I usually only check up on the latest things going on in the social world on my phone when I have nothing else to do (waiting in line, waiting for class, etc…), but I do know people who use their phones all the time and have to check in and check up on the latest happenings every five minutes. Those people are generally too involved in their phones to have FOMO!

    Reply

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