The Litverse Saturday Stat: The FOMO Generation
Millennials look for meaning in longing
A “fear of missing out” (FOMO) is, in base form, a crack in our foundation. Longing for the sights and sounds of simulated universes, we become blind to our own.
As Wikipedia tells us:
(FOMO) is the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know or missing out on information, events, experiences, or life decisions that could make one's life better…. It is characterized by a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing, and can be described as the fear that deciding not to participate is the wrong choice
Who suffers the worst FOMO? Millennials, who are now roughly 27 to 42 years old.
Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) of millennials experience FOMO, the most of any age group.
Millennials are the most likely to purposely try to create FOMO among their peers, with 33% saying they have done so compared to 12% of those in other age groups.
Those with household incomes above $75,000 a year were not only the most likely to experience FOMO but also the most likely to share their experiences on social media with the intent of creating the sensation in others.
As I described in Harrison Ford’s life philosophy, Ford shares a cure for FOMO: do what makes you feel useful.
Why does he keep acting at eighty years old? Ford tells us:
I think it’s the place I feel most useful.
The passion is the product. Not the perception of passion.