Technology has invaded our day-to-day life leading to an urge to stay connected all the time. And inability to do that triggers FOMO or fear of missing out. But emerging research suggests that missing out need not be something we fear, but something we can enjoy. This is why JOMO, or the joy of missing out, has been trending on social media for the past weeks. JOMO is the antidote to FOMO, offering a serene sanctuary where you can savour the present, prioritise well-being, and find contentment in the art of missing out on the unnecessary.
JOMO represents the idea of finding happiness in missing or not taking part in certain activities, and enjoying time along instead of scrolling through the social media feeds (or "doomscrolling" in case of Instagram Reels).
On TikTok, hashtag #JOMO has amassed almost 53 million views.
According to Forbes, the term was theorised by Anil Dash, an American entrepreneur, in 2012 blog post. He came up with the term after becoming a father and realising that he had missed out on a lot in the month following the birth of his son.
"JOMO reminds us that we can not only not fear that we are missing something important, but actually enjoy missing something," Tali Gazit, an associate professor of information science at Israel's Bar-Ilan University, told The Washington Post.
"JOMO is actually being able to be in the here and now. To be able to enjoy what you are doing now without looking left and right and be jealous or anxious about missing something," she added.
Cleveland Clinic says the pleasure that missing out on something gives can have a number of benefits - increasing productivity and focus, enhancing engagement in relationships and improving emotional and physical well-being.
It is important to note that JOMO doesn't mean cutting all ties with the outside world and saying goodbye to your social life, but being more selective and choosing the events you really want to attend.
"If there's a downside to JOMO, it's that FOMO can often be a motivator for you to step out of your comfort zone and explore new things. And seeing what other people are doing can give you new ideas that you wouldn't have thought of," psychologist Susan Albers told Cleveland Clinic.
