You may think your worst breakup has already happened. It was that gut-wrenching type of grief where you were unable to sleep or eat and you dyed your hair a stark color your mother would never approve of.
Maybe it’s because being on two different campuses was going to be too hard, so you broke up; maybe it was a friendship breakup because you were aspiring to live different lifestyles. Despite which category you fall into, you’ve felt your lowest. Survival didn’t seem possible. How could you manage to get through today or tomorrow or a billion days after that?
Unfortunately, I’m here to tell you that’s not the most dramatic breakup you’ll experience. It’s your breakup with your reliable friend — my former companion — FOMO.
What is it, you ask? Maybe you think you already know (you don’t). FOMO is the looming mate who waits until the most inopportune time to make you question all your decisions, leave you with subconscious stress and cause you to measure how much fun or value every encounter will give you. In the college setting, FOMO is inherently unavoidable.
What does FOMO look like? Well, it doesn’t follow a particular style, but it may make you question yours. If everyone is purchasing the new denim set from Princess Polly for game day then say goodbye to your planned outfit you got from Depop over the summer; FOMO says you can’t ignore matching with others for the Instagram features and incoming followers.
FOMO likes to quantify. As if everything here on UNC’s campus isn’t already enough of a scoreboard competition. While you’re surrounded by thousands of people your age, thousands of enticing activities and gatherings and not enough hours in the day to complete all your CLE credits, you’re not going to always stick to your original plan.
You may think you’re above FOMO, you’re greater than it, but FOMO is something as simple as knowing a friend is using a PLUS Swipe on Med Deli today and so you want to eat with them. Suddenly, eating at Top of Lenoir isn’t seemingly as appetizing and you don’t want to miss out on eating with your friend. PLUS Swipe it is.
Breaking up with FOMO is acknowledging it’s always a tempting flirtation you’ll have. FOMO doesn’t have to take control of your goals, relationships and worth, unless you let it. Breaking up with FOMO involves not letting your old peer have input over your every move and choice. Letting go of FOMO requires you to focus on what is best for you at all times. Sometimes it may require you to eat lunch alone or miss out on that one party (don’t worry, most of them are all the same — you’ll hear "No Hands" by Waka Flocka Flame play next time too).
Healthy compromise is not breakup worthy, but stress based on other people’s opinions and values stemming from FOMO is.
