FOMO
Left-out social anxiety
FOMO is an acronym for "fear of missing out"—anxiety that others are having experiences or opportunities you're not part of.
The term emerged with social media, where curated glimpses of others' lives amplify the feeling: Seeing everyone's vacation photos gave me major FOMO.
It functions as a noun and occasionally as an adjective: FOMO culture, FOMO-driven decisions.
Failing to partake
- worryTroubled mental state
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
panic · restlessness · insecurity · angst · overwhelm · regret · rumination · obsessing
Not made part of
- uninvitedWithout formal welcome
- excludedShut out, denied entry
- sidelinedRemoved from participation
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
forgotten · ignored · disconnected · isolated · outsider · rejection · loneliness · ghosted
Exaggerated promotional fanfare
- buzzContinuous low drone
- bandwagonSurging popular cause
- crazeShort-lived popular obsession
- viralSpreading quickly online
mainstream · zeitgeist · movement · next big thing · early adopter · drop · launch · limited edition
Belief about future outcomes
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- keeping upMaintaining pace or standard
- comparisonAssessment of similarities
- peer pressureInfluence from one's equals
social proof · urgency · scarcity · countdown · deadline · last chance · act now · limited time
missing out
Failing to partake
nervousness · panic · restlessness · insecurity · angst · overwhelm · regret · rumination · obsessing · scrolling
left out
Not made part of
overlooked · forgotten · ignored · disconnected · isolated · outsider · rejection · loneliness · ghosted · snubbed
hype
Exaggerated promotional fanfare
viral · mainstream · zeitgeist · movement · next big thing · early adopter · drop · launch · limited edition · exclusive
expectation
Belief about future outcomes
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- keeping upMaintaining pace or standard
- comparisonAssessment of similarities
peer pressure · social proof · urgency · scarcity · countdown · deadline · last chance · act now · limited time · while supplies last
feed
Supply with sustenance
- scrollWound document of parchment
- notificationFormal notice given
- InstagramPhoto-sharing social platform
TikTok · stories · posts · likes · comments · viral · livestream · update · timeline · algorithm
party
Gathering for celebration
meetup · invitation · concert · festival · brunch · nightlife · clubbing · bar hopping · road trip · vacation
- adolescencepuberty, teenager, coming-of-age, growing up, teen
- Anxietyanxiety, nervousness, panic, worry, generalized anxiety
- Digital Ageapp, blog, emoji, hashtag, meme
- social mediaposts, post, influencer status, followers, tweet
- 2020s trendssocial media, influencers, streaming, TikTok, Instagram
- Informal Englishgonna, wanna, gotta, lemme, kinda
FOMOcontentment
Peaceful satisfaction with circumstances
peace of mind · serenity · equanimity · acceptance · satisfaction
FOMOpresence
State of being somewhere
mindfulness · living in the moment · groundedness · flow state · engagement