Generation Z is going to great lengths for the sake of posting on social media, it seems. It has become increasingly common to see Gen-Z pulling out their phones and recording themselves having fun or taking pictures of iconic aspects of an event. This stems from young social media users developing a sense of a ‘Fear of Missing Out,’ or FOMO.
FOMO is characterised by anxiety, apprehension and a need not to miss experiences, according to research by Jonathan Jacob Paul Latupeirissa. The research also says that this fear has negative impacts on academic performance, social and familial relationships, and mental health.
Through constantly needing to be updated on peers’ activities and experiences, many feel a sense of inadequacy and a need to do or show more for their social media presence. This can cause them to ignore other important tasks or obligations.
Approximately 80% of the Gen-Z individuals TNM interviewed expressed a sense of FOMO and a need for constant social media validation in varying degrees.
‘Photos come first, even if the place is bad’
Some people go as far as to spend money and travel, solely for the sake of posting about it on social media. Arundathi, a student, said if she feels like her Instagram is “getting boring,” she asks her parents to take her on vacations so that she can post about it, once or twice a month. She also said that she is the first one in her group to visit new, exotic places to post on Instagram, and that she feels good when her friends ask her more about the details of her trips. Arundathi added that she is often the person in the group to create the feeling of FOMO in others and that she feels good about it.
This apprehension of being seen as ‘not having fun,’ or ‘missing out on the fun’, leads people to go out, spend money, and travel out of pressure. While some go out with the intention of posting on social media, others stay at events even if they are not enjoying it to get the perfect picture/video.
Tanay Naidu, a student who went to a Karan Aujla concert, said he and his friends felt bored, but stayed until the end because he heard that there would be fireworks, and he thought that would make for a nice post.
Khushi and Shonali, also students, said, “The photos are the main point. To become more ‘Instagrammable’, the photos come first.” Khushi added that sometimes she posts about cafés even if the food is not very good. “Sometimes, I will simply stay if the ambience is very Instagrammable,” she further said.
The feeling of FOMO for Gen-Z increases when they see their friends post stories and posts about the event. For some, this is because they get a visual of the event or their peers having fun, but for others, it is because they do not get to post about it.
Khushi said the biggest cause of her FOMO is not that she would miss the artist or event, but that she would not be able to get pictures or videos to post.
Chain of ‘Instagrammable moments’
‘Instagrammable’ moments also cause a chain reaction of FOMO and pressure.
Days when the entirety of social media is hyped about a particular event, like a concert or a cricket match, Gen Z often tends to make sure that if one of their friends visits and posts about a place, it should be on their feed as well.
The trend of the IPL is major in India, and depending on the matches, a streak posting of how many matches someone has attended in the whole season pops up. Therefore, if one person goes, the other also “must” attend.
Some people, like Sanura, who go to the events primarily to take pictures, feel the event is done after taking the desired picture or video. They tend to leave leave after getting enough material for social media posts.
Khushi and Shonali agreed that the primary reason they go out is to improve their social media presence and get post-worthy photos and videos. Others, like Amelia and Sandra, do not go out solely to post about it on Instagram, but if the event is boring, the opportunists in them think: “This is a good way to aestheticise our Instagram.”
Mental health toll
Teenagers struggle the most with peer pressure and FOMO of trends. even though it is immensely affecting their mental health, says A BGCA article on the effects of social media on teens says Instagram, with about three billion active monthly users according to Statista, is the worst for mental health.
Spending time and money to get a picture and then leaving shows an obsessive level of peer pressure, it suggests. This dependency on social media to remain updated on peer activity, and projecting more of the fun parts of one’s life out of a feeling of inadequacy, can drain attention and focus.
Tough social media obsession has persisted for a while now, when young adults become more and more fixated on it, the problem needs serious attention.
This article was written by students interning with TNM.