Six things to fear once the FOMO meme goes away

I’m assuming that by now you’ve heard of FOMO.  

FOMO, of course, stands for “Fear Of Missing Out,” a term coined by entrepreneur and blogger Caterina Fake last year, and was initially defined, in her words, as “what happens everywhere on a typical Saturday night, when you’re trying to decide if you should stay in, or muster the energy to go to the party.” 

What it’s become is the way social media has crowded our lives with gabillions of choices, and how we now need to constantly worry and wonder about missing out on something more interesting or exciting.

As memes go, it’s as au as courant gets.

The buzz around FOMO has continued, from South by Southwest to Mashable to the New York Times.  So in honor of FOMO and all the timely angst it brings to us 2012-ers, here are some more “Fear Of’s” that can help guide us until we find our way to the next great meme.

FOBBOTCS (Fear of being behind on the cool shows)

For people like me who don’t watch Breaking Bad, The Wire, Downton Abbey, or Boardwalk Empire.  Homeland provides my TV-watching awesomeness and it’s about all I can muster.

FOWUBTAGO (Fear of waking up before the alarm goes off)

Unless you like not getting enough sleep.

FONSYKE (Fear of not seeing your kids enough)

For any parent who works too hard or travels too much, you know what I’m talking about.  For Doggie-Only Parents, FONSYDE is just as bad (Sorry feline lovers, FONSYCE isn’t quite the same thing).

FORMATT  (Fear of repetitive meetings all the time)

You may already be living through this hell if you work for a living.

FOOEYS (Fear of outsiders eating your sandwich)

Those who know me know that this really only applies to  me because I make really good sandwiches.

Good luck managing your way through FOMO and any other “FO’s” you might be experiencing.  And remember, for every person out there who you think is having more fun, there are two more who are sure you’re having waaaay more fun than they are.

For those who poo-poo Pinterest, take a gander at this

Is it just my imagination or is Pinterest growing faster than Facebook?

Um...no. In terms of size and growth rate, Pinterest is still smaller than an undersized tick on the back of an old Black Bear. It just may seem that way from all the press coverage and buzz.

Still, Pinterest is flexing it’s digital muscle without even lifting a finger. Mashable shows Pinterest’s ability to be a strong tool to drive traffic to retail websites, through a short article and cool infographics.

When I first played with Pinterest I thought of it nothing more than digital masturbation and an endless time waste. I think I may have said something similar when Facebook first appeared on the scene (“Why would anyone care about what other people are doing right now?) and quite possibly Twitter (“Why would anyone care about what other people are doing right now in only 140 characters or less?).

I’ll never poo-poo another internet sensation. In fact, I’m a believer in Pinterest.

Clearly, it has relevance to commerce.

Being an almost entirely visual medium, it plays globally. And brings a new dimension to PG-rated voyeurism.

And It's proven to be a giant when it comes to community building.

Stop poo-pooing and start Pinning.