From FOMO to JOMO: The Joy of Disconnecting from Social Media

Many young people decide to distance themselves from technology, especially social media, and prioritize what they really want to do in each moment without feeling bad about it and without letting social pressure force them to change their ideas. According to Qustodio’s report ‘Born in the digital age: The AI generation,’ minors spend an average of four hours a day in front of screens consuming all kinds of content.

If FOMO (fear of missing out) was talked about at one point, the fear of missing anything, now, many young people have wanted to reclaim themselves against this term by creating JOMO (joy of missing out), the joy or pleasure of missing out on things.

It is impossible to quantify the amount of content that can be consumed in a day: thousands of videos, plans, activities, etc. Young people live bombarded with such a large amount of information that sometimes it is impossible for them to disconnect. According to Qustodio’s report ‘Born in the digital age: The AI generation,’ a leading online security and digital well-being platform for families, minors spend an average of four hours a day in front of screens consuming all kinds of content only on their personal devices.

Faced with this, many of them decide to distance themselves from technology, especially social media, and prioritize what they really want to do, focusing on self-care and enjoying moments of calm that personally bring happiness, without feeling bad about missing activities or events and without letting social pressure force them to change their ideas, that’s how JOMO works.

How do young people face this social pressure?
If every time a notification sounds they feel the need to stop what they are doing to check their phone or are unable to say no to a plan, even if they do not feel like it, they are probably subject to a technological dependence that can prevent them from enjoying doing what they really want. The experts at Qustodio give some tips for implementing JOMO and reducing the anxiety caused by the use of social media:

– Turn off notifications: As mentioned earlier, notifications lead to not being able to stop checking technological devices. Not having them activated helps to be more relaxed, less stressed, and more productive, as well as not constantly looking at the phone screen.
– Use content filters: Often, the anxiety of being informed 24/7 comes from receiving too much information and trying to always be aware of everything that happens, so it is important to prioritize only what really interests.

– Limit time on applications: Social media can “trap” minors for hours, becoming an addiction for them. Therefore, it is recommended to limit the time spent in front of screens.

Emily Lawrenson, communications manager at Qustodio, explains that “depending on their age, young people may be subject to social pressure that forces them to do things that they may not enjoy. They have to learn to enjoy what they like and avoid feeling those obligations that, in the long run, can have negative effects on them. Practices like JOMO can be very effective if they feel that kind of technological dependence.”

Referrer: MiMub in Spanish

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