Like all of us, FOMO returns to campus in the fall and becomes part of student life and decision-making. At UT, there is always something to miss. The sheer volume of activities, combined with the pressures of college, can easily make you feel like you’re obligated to do everything.
The fear of missing out, or “FOMO,” is described as the unsettling and longing feeling one gets when they miss out on a particular activity. It can be triggered by anything — pictures on social media, fun anecdotes or even an atmosphere you find yourself removed from. FOMO has a very negative stigma and is often something we seek to avoid. The phenomenon seems to make us prioritize social outreach over our own schedules, needs and preferences.
Before becoming a Longhorn, my school community was small, creating a social dynamic where everyone was at an arm’s length. Events and functions were few and far between, making each one feel even more important. And not being invited to an event felt far more personal.
My pre-college environment was trapped in a loop of social obligation. This made me push myself to be involved on a level I wasn’t always comfortable with. The fear of being judged, combined with the fear of missing out, gave me a feeling of intense social claustrophobia that significantly drove my decision-making.
Going from a small environment to one filled with thousands of people completely changed my outlook and made me feel more liberated. The endless opportunities, events and students prevent me from experiencing FOMO since it is impossible to attend everything. There will always be another opportunity to enjoy the college experience in whatever way I see fit. Therefore, my attendance, or lack thereof, is no longer personal.
Despite the pressure to make these next four years the best they can be, we fail to recognize the value of being involved in what makes you happy. College is about individual preferences and looks different for everyone. Chasing the idea of social inclusion robs us of the freedom to dictate our time. The best outlook for students is to explore their interests as they please.
One constant about UT is that there will always be something going on. Rather than focusing on missed events, I see this as social freedom. In Austin, things will always be interesting, people will always be friendly and there is simply far too much to miss it all.
Meltzer is a writing and rhetoric freshman from San Antonio, Texas.
