From my bed, I can take a trip to another continent, watch what’s happening across the country, and go to a party. I watch other people interact on Instagram and TikTok, and suddenly, I find myself wishing I was there in real life, too.
The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) plagues teens and adults across the world. According to the Social Media Victims Law Center (SMVLC), “FOMO stems from the belief that a user’s social standing is everything, and this standing is so delicate that it only takes one missed notification to destroy it.” The SMVLC found that 56% of all social media users experience FOMO. Teens at Wilde Lake also report feelings of isolation from social media use. According to a poll taken on “The Paw Print” Instagram account, 66% of students report feeling lonely because of social media.
As a teen who is also an avid social media user, I love social media for ease of communication. It allows me to access information and stay in touch with my peers. However, when I downloaded Instagram my sophomore year of high school, which was much later than most teens, I started experiencing the negative effects of social media. I felt left out when people posted at events I wasn’t invited to, and I developed a habit of watching the lives of others instead of living my own. My brain craved the vibration of my phone from a new Instagram notification. I was hooked.
I’m not alone in my dependency. Approximately 210 million people worldwide also suffer from social media addiction, according to research from the University of Michigan. Millions of people are hooked on social media because it is designed that way. According to Addiction Help, social media encourages scrolling and instant gratification. This means apps like Instagram and TikTok are not only designed to keep you on the app longer, but they program your brain to anxiously wait for the next notification, like, or comment. Social media fosters these behaviors.
Social media also preys on teen’s FOMO. When you are worried about missing out on the next big event or not knowing about the newest drama, social media encourages you to continuously check your phone in fear of missing something new. The apps on your phone prey on that fear to keep you hooked.
When I noticed I was dependent on my next rush of dopamine from a new social media notification, I decided I needed to try something new. I was tired of constantly feeling anxious about missing something online, so I did a “social media cleanse,” which I have now integrated into my lifestyle.
Whenever I have a lot of work to do or responsibilities to get done but still find myself doom-scrolling and wishing I was elsewhere, I delete all of my social media platforms from my phone.
As soon as I delete all of my social media, it becomes incredibly easier to get my work done and focus on what is in front of me. Free of distractions, I get my work done faster and have more time for social interactions, which actually diminishes my FOMO.
When I delete social media from my phone, I gain a sense of clarity. It becomes much more evident to me that my brain craves social media in an unhealthy way. I understand how powerful social media is and how its algorithm is designed to keep me hooked.
I redownload my social media platforms when I feel ready to have them easily accessible to me. I’ve gone two days, a week, a month – it truly depends on when I know I have the free time for social media. My dependency isn’t gone, but I’ve learned to recognize when it is necessary for me to take a step back to maintain my sanity.
If I have social media on my phone, I know I am going to spend a lot of time on it. I know it is going to make me feel lonely and sad at times. I know the social media notifications are going to feed my need for instant gratification.
Sadly, I, much like many other teens, don’t have the strength to delete social media forever. However, I think recognizing that our FOMO is being preyed on by the apps on our phone is the first step in understanding our dependency.
Fight the dependency and be present. Fight FOMO by making plans with friends in real life instead of talking over the phone. Fight social media by taking a step back and appreciating what’s around you. You are stronger than your phone.
