FOMO and Social Media

FOMO is a great motivator of human behavior, and I think a crucial key to understanding social software, and why it works the way it does. Many people have studied the game mechanics that keep people collecting things (points, trophies, check-ins, mayorships, kudos). Others have studied how the neurochemistry that keeps us checking Facebook every five minutes is similar to the neurochemistry fueling addiction. Social media has made us even more aware of the things we are missing out on. You’re home alone, but watching your friends status updates tell of a great party happening somewhere. You are aware of more parties than ever before. And, like gym memberships, adding Bergman movies to your Netflix queue and piling up unread copies of the New Yorker, watching these feeds gives you a sense that you’re participating, not missing out, even when you are.

Caterina Fake really hits the nail on the head with this article. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for quite a while now, and is what led me to stop using my Twitter account in December of ‘09 and delete my Facebook account last spring (and subsequently making a new one in the summer…don’t judge me, haha).

Take the time to read it; you’ll be glad you did. This woman is brilliant. :D