Beware of FOMO! A disorder of our times
Remember, you and your family are before the cell phone

By: Fernando de Navascués | Source: www.somosrc.mx

FOMO is the acronym in English of fear of missing out, whose translation into Spanish is "fear of missing something". And it refers to the fear of being or feeling excluded or not participating in something. Therefore, FOMO is the obsession to be aware of everything and not feel isolated. A recent statistic indicates that 56% of social network users are sensitive to this type of anxiety disorder.

The most palpable manifestations are neglecting other activities, mainly the relationships with the people with whom we are physical. Concentration is lost in what is being done, one gets up even from bed because at midnight a new message has sounded ... This anxiety causes a lack of rest, lack of creativity, responsiveness, breach of commitments, an excess of information which affects the criterion itself ... Do you see yourself reflected in any way? WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram ..., and many other social networks are authentic tools to steal time. They indeed bring the one who is far away closer, but it is also true that the distance the one who is near and even oneself from their reality. And this is what I find most delicate.

FOMO is the version provoked by the digital world of something as old as man: the social fear that has always existed to exclusion, the knowledge that your friends participate in something that may be better than yours. Something worse, and perhaps even more harmful: it is thinking that your life is much less interesting than that of your acquaintances and that you always have the feeling of losing something. Sometimes even break a happy moment to discover that one of your friends is having a great time in something that you did not know.

Checking for solutions

A first warning: we are in the culture and the digital world, and it is practically impossible to escape from it. Just going to a cloistered monastery or vacations somewhere without coverage, I think it's the only way to avoid digital relationships. Therefore, if we can not change them, at least we use them on our behalf. That is to say, that we are the ones who control them. Here are some ideas that can help:

No one is obliged to respond and react on social networks immediately. If there is something very urgent, I will find out, and whoever wants to communicate with me, if he has an interest, will already do it. So clear. 99.99% of communications through social networks are not urgent. That does not mean that they have to be avoided, but that they have their moments. But this can not be 24 hours a day.

It is not only a matter of time, but it is also a matter of priorities. It is not the same what my son wants to tell me, that an old friend that I do not see -I do not want to see him- for years.

Realize that if you are thinking all day and looking at what others are doing, you are missing out on the best: your own life.

Take action, be the one to record and share the good of your life. Of course, those who want to share, not with everyone. They will see you, but at least you reassure yourself that you will not be paying attention to others because you will be waiting to enjoy yourself.

In other words, something similar, but different: Do you think that those who are always updating their status and hanging pictures on the networks have a better time than you? Do not give them that taste ...

Do things that favor disconnection: stay with friends, interact with people, play sports, read, visit older people who do not have cell phones and learn from them, and their simplicity of life, no doubt happier and less crazy than ours.

Limit your social networks. It is not necessary to use them all, and all at the same time. Use the ones that are truly worth it.

Do not follow everyone. We know that many of our "friends" are commitments that interest us little or nothing, but there is no way to get rid of them ..., so make lists and follow only those we want. Prioritize

Very important: control your time. In many companies, it begins to be a work criterion that the emails are reviewed in two moments of the day: first thing in the morning and before lunch. Avoid wasting time, and as we said above, if there is something urgent, they will call.

There are other types of tips that are more operational, but are useful:

Use the airplane mode to be on the ground ... No one tells you that you have the phone off. Nobody takes it from you, but if you are the owner of your time, do not steal it from others: food, rest, sleep, time to live with the family ... Why not put the airplane mode?

Disable the double blue check of WhatsApp. It is the slavery that is added: "Have you read me?", "What makes you not read me?", "But if it is online!". It is a true generator of anxiety.

Even for calls use the "Do not disturb" of the iPhone, or the "Interruptions" of Android, or other similar applications. With them, you can control incoming calls. They are the ones you choose: the spouse, the children, the parents, the school during class hours, etc. The others can wait.

Always remember that the main relationships are yours with your family. And all the others can steal your time: rich, wonderful and unique. And if you are also a person of faith ... remember that your time is the time of Christ.