Fear FOMO? Let's Reduce Access To Social Media Starting Now

Illustration of FOMO (Photo: Pexels)

JAKARTA - Young people need to reduce access to social media to prevent feelings of fear of missing out (FOMO). FOMO is a feeling of anxiety, anxiety, and fear of losing the precious moments that friends or groups have, while he is not involved in it.

Some of the symptoms of FOMO are difficult to escape dependence on social media, always follow trends, force buying certain items so they are not considered outdated, and want to get recognition on social media.

To avoid this, reduce access to social media to Islam now. "You have to reduce access to social media so you don't get addicted," said Almasari, a Samarinda State Polytechnic Communications Lecturer, Almasari Embeta, quoted from ANTARA, Friday, October 21.

He said that the symptoms of FOMO come from generation Z (generations born between 1995 and 2012).

"This FOMO symptom is a manifestation of anxiety which is characterized by the desire to always know what others are doing, especially on social media," he said.

To reduce the symptoms of FOMO, continued Almasari, it can be done in several ways, such as removing some non-essential applications on the device.

Then turn off the device when doing activities and keep the device away from private places. According to him, it is necessary to limit the use of the device in a disciplined and timely manner, and if necessary use the alarm as a reminder.

"Everything requires self-awareness accompanied by a high commitment," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor of the Surabaya Journalists Almamater Communications College (STIKOSA-AWS) Meithiana Indrasari assessed that one of the FOMO phenomena came from the flood of information due to the rapid use of the internet, including from social media.

Practical and fast application of conversation and social media allows a person to connect with others without having to meet face to face. Flooding information and various eases of communication on social media also have a negative impact on a person.

"One of them is as afraid of missing the moment if it is not recorded and disturbed by the achievements of others," he said.

With the presence of the National Digital Literacy Movement program by the Ministry of Communication and Information, it is hoped that it can encourage people to use the internet smartly, positively, creatively, and productively.

This activity is specifically aimed at communities in the Kalimantan region and its surroundings that aim not only to create intelligent communities, but also to help prepare superior human resources for using the internet positively, critically, and creatively in the industrial era 4.0.