We’re all friends here, right?   So, hopefully you won’t judge me when I confess that everyone in our house suffers from FOMO (fear of missing out).  Fortunately, I’m able to effectively manage my FOMO.  I experience a mild amount of regret if I order the wrong thing on a restaurant menu and someone else’s dish looks way more awesome than mine.  Or, I see a friend’s vacation photos on Facebook and realize I’m totally missing out on an awesome vacation experience.   My husband Jay on the other hand, nurses a much more serious case of FOMO.  He will be practically overcome with anxiety and grief if he suddenly realizes he is missing out on a night of awesomeness with his friends.  Even our bulldog, Hank, suffers from FOMO.  He follows our every move to ensure he doesn’t miss out on a single moment of our day.  Springtime in Philly only seems to exacerbate our FOMO.  With all the new restaurant openings, concerts, foodie festivals and events it’s hard to accept the fact that we simply cannot be doing the coolest thing ever at every single moment.

Fortunately I hear there is a cure for FOMO.  Apparently you can fight FOMO by realizing the media, including social media, are misleading us by presenting a highlight reel of moments disguised as everyday activities.  So true, right? Speaking of social media, it seems to be the primary culprit of this modern phenomenon.  Since I work in marketing, part of my job has been to stream news and important info via social media platforms, but as everyone knows it can be a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with all the various social media networks.  If you’re a marketing nerd like me, you’ll probably appreciate this interesting infographic from Mashable that shows 56% of social media users suffer from FOMO.

(Image pulled from Mashable)

In conclusion, I read an article earlier this year that said 2013 was the year of FOMO and we should strive to make 2014 the year of JOMO.  Which is: the joy of missing out.