Now I’m gonna tell you. But first, you know when you are home on a Saturday night and you start to scroll up, then you see everyone is out, enjoying the night, and you start to get anxious just because you’re not there. So, this is called FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
FOMO is the syndrome of Gen Z caused by the excessive use of social media. This fear leads to a ritual of constantly checking apps, such as Instagram, X, and others. The person begins to feel the need to check all the time, and when they can’t, such as when stuck in traffic, they may feel irritated and nervous.
FOMO can appear in relation to work, such as the habit of constantly checking the company’s messaging group even when not working, which affects moments of leisure, essential for resting the mind and body and stimulating creativity.
This happens because we are constantly using our cell phones, even when we are doing the most basic things like going to the bathroom, and even when we are doing something that requires more attention, like cooking. We constantly have them by our side, always easily accessible, thus creating a dependency.
We all are addicted to the dopamine that the brain releases when we receive notifications or when we are scrolling till there’s no end. Dopamine alters our impulse control and behavior, thus creating digital dependency.
### But how can we break this bad habit? Here are some tips on how to try to break this constant use:
* Trying to find the balance between work (if you use your phone or socials) and personal life
* Technology-free zones or digital detox challenges: with family or friends, establish environments or periods where cell phones cannot be used, such as on a trip, for example.
* Offline life is good as well as digital too, do some exercises, practice new sports, go outside.
*Limit the amount of time you use your cell phone each day. There are apps that do this nowadays, even in the settings of the cell phone itself.*
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