According to the article human being are always worried about missing out on what other people in the world are doing.
Currently, more and more people are using the social media following the technological advancements which increase the rates of fear of missing out (FOMO). The author of the article indicated that FOMO activates the social monitoring system when one feels like he or she is being left out. This leads to different physical effects such social pain when one feels like he or she is being rejected by a certain group (Baker, Krieger " LeRoy, 2016). Additionally, the article indicates that there is a relationship between FOMO and some depressive symptoms like increased social media engagement which leads to some negative outcomes such as depression. Moreover, the fear of missing out is related to mindful attention. All these relations hold even when the amount of time an individual spends on social networks is accounted for. This means that they are important beyond and above social media alone.
However, the article fails to indicate how FOMO influences health and behaviors over time.
Additionally, the author should have tried to clearly establish the relationship between social media, FOMO as well as health. The article leaves the reader with questions of whether or not FOMO is experienced more often in younger generations or the older generation. This is mainly because almost every generation is currently using social media for different reasons. It is worth noting that FOMO is also associated with other cognitive, emotional as well as physical health outcomes such as health behaviors and anxiety (Baker, Krieger " LeRoy, 2016). FOMO has been made common by the rise of social media but there is nothing new concerning envying other people as well as wondering whether or not one should have followed their path. FOMO is present in almost every culture and in every part of the world.
Social Media Use and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Cluster Analysis
Summary
This article deals with different patterns of social media use (SMU). The author tries to explain the association between the patterns and anxiety and depression symptoms. According to the article prolonged use of social media leads to negative online experiences such as reduced abilities to sustain attention. The article also indicated that the fear of missing out which is mainly characterized by the urge to stay continually connected can lead to hyper-vigilant social media surveillance which eventually leads to depression as well as anxiety. For instance, the young adults with the habit of seeking attention on social media may end up being depressed when their updates or pictures fail to attract the required attention from friends (Shensa et al., 2018). The article also maintains that the association is so strong that individuals suffering from depression and anxiety are requested to avoid using the social media excessively because it is a major contributing factor of their condition.
It is, however, worth noting that the relationship between SMU and anxiety and depression can sometimes be more indicative of people's experience as compared to the volume of SMU. People use social media with varying quantity, behavioral and emotional attachments. The attachments, however, have a different association with people's mental health outcomes. Not every person who uses social media can suffer from anxiety and disorders (Shensa et al., 2018)
Association between Social Media Use and Depression Among U.S. Young Adults
Summary
The article indicates that in America, depression is highly prevalent. The condition begins during young adulthood and is caused by different factors. The use of social media is among the major factors leading to depression. Most of the young American adults use different social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Despite the mixed results, the article maintains that the young adults using social media platforms experience higher rates of depression (Sidani et al., 2016). Additionally, it is clear from the article that following the proliferation of social media, identifying the directions as well as mechanisms of the association between the levels of depression and the use of social media is always important as it informs interventions addressing SM as well as depression.
Just like outlined in the article, some previous research works have provided evidence linking the use of social media platforms with unhappiness when it comes to younger people in America. the researchers have ruled out the idea that people turn to social media when they are feeling bad by testing the well being of different people before and using social media platforms. However, there are some gaps which need to be filled in relation to this topic and the author's ideas (Sidani et al., 2016). For instance, is it the social media that makes people depressed or depressed people turn to social media for social support? The study only focused on the correlation between social media and depression which means that there is a lot still to be done. Moreover, the article would have outlined the overall emotional valence of social media interactions as well as the interaction of active versus passive users of social media and its different effects on moods.
References
Baker, Z. G., Krieger, H., " LeRoy, A. S. (2016). Fear of missing out: Relationships with depression, mindfulness, and physical symptoms. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 2(3), 275.
Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., Dew, M. A., Escobar-Viera, C. G., " Primack, B. A. (2018). Social Media Use and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Cluster Analysis. American journal of health behavior, 42(2).
Sidani, J. E., Shensa, A., Radovic, A., Miller, E., Colditz, J. B., Hoffman, B. L., ... " Primack, B. A. (2016). Association between social media use and depression among US young adults. Depression and anxiety, 33(4), 323-331.
