I was worried I was going to miss out on the Norman Rockwell exhibit in town – I couldn’t seem to fit it in before it leaves next week. Worry no more, the museum shut their doors a few days ago. Basically, any event on our calendar and all possible events in the foreseeable future are wiped off the board.
Stories of gatherings, parties, reunions, and other fun happenings in social media have disappeared. They are being replaced with everything from helpful creative ideas for managing isolation to anguished posts of fear and dread. The FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) promoting platforms have lost this particular power over us.
ALL of us are For Sure Missing Out — or rather none of us are missing out, because there’s nothing to miss out on?
FOMO induced by stylized cutsie pics of perfect, happy lives seems trivial against a backdrop of plummeting stocks, closing borders, closing businesses, closing schools, and increasing virus counts. We see overwhelmed medical facilities in other countries on TV and absorb the rising tide of fear as we contemplate whether we are next. The new reality of isolation and social distancing slices across our society with no regard for class, looks, popularity, connectedness, or wealth. We are all in this stew together. Was FOMO ever a real thing?
I can see some early shifts in the ways we relate to each other – echos of post-hurricane disaster care and generosity. I’m wondering how this will evolve as time passes and what will stick when it’s all over?
Watch this space.
The Coronaviary 