Smartphones, the Internet and ... FOMO

Our time is precious. And we are spending more and more of it online - working, interacting with others, seeking entertainment and relaxation. We move the various activities of our lives online. We multiply the minutes and hours we spend online. Is this FOMO?

What is FOMO?

FOMO - Fear of Missing Out is now defined as problematic Internet use, a type of addiction to social media, smartphones and online messaging.

It's the fear of being disconnected, of falling out of the loop, the fear that we'll miss something when we put down the phone and aren't online. It's the fear that others are having a very rewarding experience at any given time, having fun without us. It's the fear of being deprived of information. This fear is combined with the need and desire to be in constant communication with others, the need to belong. The problem affects a significant number of Internet users and can affect anyone, regardless of age. Therefore, it is necessary to know what FOMO is and to prevent it.

It is worth reacting to certain behaviors to guard against the problem:

• The compulsion to carry a phone all the time,
• Continuously monitoring and responding to messages and notifications,
• Using the phone during daily activities - right after waking up, during meals, when meeting with friends,
• A sense of emptiness and anxiety when the phone goes silent,
• Long hours spent on social media,
• trouble concentrating, sleep problems,
• mood swings according to different reactions to material posted online,
• Frequent comparison with people observed online,
• Having accounts on various social media.

When deprived of access to the online world, people with high FOMO experience:

• anxiety, discomfort,
• stress,
• Fear,
• loneliness,
• Somatic symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness.

Also:

• They neglect household and professional responsibilities,
• undermine the quality of relationships by disregarding interlocutors in favor of paying attention to the smartphone (phubbing),
• By constantly comparing themselves with others, they lower their self-esteem and experience frustration.

How to prevent FOMO?

The basis for healthy functioning is awareness of the positive and negative sides of the Internet and social media. Noticing disturbing behavior should prompt us to take steps to prevent the problem. What to do, how to prevent?

• Limit internet time in favor of physical activity,
• Develop passions and hobbies (unrelated to the media),
• Build and maintain interpersonal relationships,
• Take care of yourself, your health and physical appearance,
• Set a positive example for children and teenagers,
• try JOMO.

What is JOMO?

JOMO - Joy of Missing Out, or the contentment of escaping the information overload, eliminating stimuli by limiting online activity and focusing on the present. It's a lifestyle away from the confusion and fast pace of daily life.

Children, adolescents and FOMO

Research tells us to act

FOMO can affect any of us. Children and teens are at risk. NASK's Teen 3.0 study from 2020 showed that:

• teenagers spend an average of 5 hours and 50 minutes a day online in their free time, on days off this time is increased to 6 hours and 10 minutes a day
• One in 10 teenagers (11.5%) are active online for more than 8 hours a day in their free time, and one in five (21.3%) spend that much time in front of the monitor on days off from education.
• One in six teenagers (16.9%) use the Internet intensively during nighttime hours
• One in three adolescents (33.6%) show high levels of indicators of problematic Internet use (PUI), and three in 100 show very high levels (3.2%).

Based on:

Lange R. (ed.), (2021), Teenagers 3.0. Report from a nationwide survey of students, Warsaw: NASK - National Research Institute.

Basic rules of conduct

When we suspect that a child is using the Internet in a problematic way:

1. Let's examine the situation and observe the child (his daily rhythm, ways of spending time, relations with peers, hobbies)
2. Talk to your child focusing on self-reflection and showing the differences between social media reality and offline experiences
3. Let's set Internet use rules that apply to all household members (e.g., no-phone zones, no smartphone use during meals and two hours before bedtime, a challenge - a weekend without phones!)
4. Together, look for alternatives (sports, hobbies, interesting offline activities)