My husband and I had a short conversation about this new phenomenon, FOMO (fear of missing out). Instagram and Facebook have made it so that every event, party, weekend getaway, shopping experience, dinner date, and park outing are documented for public view. So not only do you get to see all your friends hanging out and having fun, but also you are reminded that you were not invited. Of course you can't be invited to everything (however much we would like to be). But at 29 and 30, this is still sometimes hard for even my husband and I. So then we started to think, what is it going to be like for Judah and Eden growing up in an era where they will be able to see every single thing they are not invited to? Every birthday party, every sleepover, every group date. It hasn't even happened yet and I could almost cry at the thought of one of my kids feeling this way or experiencing FOMO.
Let's just add this to the list of things to worry about . . .
I heard of a new one: JOMO.
ReplyDeleteJoy of Missing Out.
I read this article because I felt like I was missing home and missing out on so much (being a few thousand miles away): http://www.celebratewhatsright.com/article/2012/11/04/jomo-joy-missing-out
It's essentially about living in the moment and enjoying what we're doing when we're doing it rather than salivating over what someone else gets to do. A friend told me this week that "we need to live in our own realities" and I think it's so true. I get jealous of what everyone is doing, but it will be important—especially for our kids who will grow up seeing everything—to place emphasis on being present, being in the moment, and not wishing you were elsewhere.
Anyways, that's just my two cents. Miss you friend!