Ngan, 29, is a communications worker in Hanois Hai Ba Trung district. Due to the nature of his job, he always has to look for news and updates on social media, as well as think of new ideas for projects.
At a time when his phone could not be reached, Ngan received no notification of a schedule adjustment for a major event that was about to go live. At the last minute, Ngan didn’t have enough time to turn the situation around, so she was reprimanded and saw her pay cut.
“Since then, I don’t dare put my phone down, not even for a minute,” she said.
Ngan suffers from what doctors describe as a subset of FOMO (fear of missing out), which is taking its toll on young people whose worlds are often ruled by the pressure of social media.
Ngan usually works late into the night, and still checks her emails and messages even at 2am. When an event approaches, Ngan loses sleep, ready to sit up in bed at any moment to check her phone.
“I’m always anxious, worried that if I turn off the phone, something bad will happen,” she said, adding that the anxiety has gotten worse, causing her to lose sleep and lose her appetite.
Trang, 32, a business worker in Hanoi’s Cau Giay district, also has this “fear of missing out” as her job requires her to stay connected to dozens of groups every day. Because he is always working on the computer and on the phone, every moment of his waking day, even during the time devoted to meals and personal hygiene, is accompanied by electronic devices.
On one occasion, Trang fell asleep and didn’t check her messages, causing her company to lose an important contract. As a result, Trang was reprimanded in front of his colleagues. Since then, she never puts her phone on silent, even while she’s asleep.
Eventually, the stress took its toll and Trang suffered from gastrointestinal problems. She felt tired and anxious all the time. Her work performance failed to improve while her concentration plummeted as she was too distracted by her phone all the time.
Ngan and Trang not only suffer from fear of missing out (FOMO), but it is combined with signs of anxiety disorder, said Tran Thi Hong Thu, vice director of Dia Mai Huong Psychiatric Hospital, after the couple visited her on last month
“FOMO is becoming more and more prominent among young people, and it is a consequence of the Internet boom, especially social media,” Thu said.
The fear of switching off can be considered a subset of FOMO, according to Todd Hancock, global chief commercial officer and president of Asia Pacific at Priority Pass. A survey of 8,500 respondents in 11 countries revealed that more than a third of people feel that they find it difficult to disengage from their daily lives even while on holiday. CNBC reported About 73% of respondents said they feel anxious about missing messages if they don’t check their phones constantly. More than half of Gen Z respondents said they checked their work messages even while on vacation.
Someone with FOMO would feel anxious and irritable when away from their usual devices for connections, such as phones or computers. The main cause of this fear may be the fear of being left behind or the fear of missing out. The rise of social networks and other means of communication has also put pressure on people, forcing them to constantly be up to date with different trends for work reasons.
People who suffer from FOMO may lose sleep as their minds are flooded with negative thoughts, leading to anxiety disorders and depression.
Thu recommends people with FOMO first reduce the frequency of using electronic devices.
“The less time you spend on media, the less you feel like you’re dependent on it. You’ll feel uncomfortable at first, but that feeling will pass,” he said, adding that people should take up hobbies like reading, walking, gardening. and cook, without the need for electronic devices.
#FOMO #mental #illness #doctors #VnExpress #International
Image Source : e.vnexpress.net