FOMO is not only about social media

February 2026 Over the past few years, this term has become increasingly popular and is commonly associated with social media. But, the Fear of Missing Out is not limited to stories, reels, group messages, or threads. It can be associated with any other content. Consider these situations: - Watch a recommended video on YouTube - Listen to a podcast about a polemic topic - Buy a book whose title feels interesting - Click on a clickbait blog post Maybe you've done one of the things above not because you truly wanted to, but because you gave in to a false urge. You obeyed an artificial need to consume that content. However, I'm not saying you shouldn't do these actions or that every curiosity is an indicator of FOMO. Let me explain. The main point of this text is: you can ignore things. Even if they're too attractive, you're not obligated to consume them. You can ignore them, and it should be easy. Looking at anything that seems interesting and saying "Looks good, but I'm not interested" is a precious skill. If you don't have it, it's easy to become an algorithm slave and spend hours scrolling and consuming whatever is thrown at you. Again, I'm not condemning anything here. As I've already said in my texts, it's just a provocation, a call to reflection. So, how good are you at ignoring things? Can you look at something attractive and simply walk away?