Does the Fear Of Missing Out on some important news, insight, or even gossip plague you even more since the onset of Covid quarantine?
“People routinely check their phone every fifteen minutes, or less, often without an alert or notification. If we take their phones away, they get highly anxious until it is back in their possession,” states Dr. Larry Rosen who researches the cognitive effects of digital technology.
Our anxiety levels are increased as we suffer from FOMO: "Fear Of Missing Out."
"FOMO isn't actually a fear as much as it looks like a form of 'technological anxiety' that continues to rise until we check in with whatever is making us feel that way, and will abate only to start to rise again and again."
He suggests that we glance at our phones for different reasons. We may go on Facebook or other social media sites to view a cute cat video and share it with a friend. When we do, we smile.
But there are also times when we feel relief from FOMO—a fear that we have not missed out on something that someone has posted or that our friends are doing something fun without us. The fear of not being in the know about some important news break, or who's hosting a fabulous party, or even where a trending food truck will be parked that evening, compels many digital users to check their devices far more than is necessary or prudent. It's not as much about finding fun as it is about not missing out on something that might be epic. Living tech-pecked is generating epidemic anxiety in us. Tech-Pecked or Tuned In.
These responses represent two different processes in our brains. According to Dr. Rosen, when we are compelled to engage in an activity to gain a feeling of pleasure, that behavior is connected to addiction. If, however, we participate in an activity and feel a sense of relief that we didn't miss out on something, this most likely is a sign of obsession. Addiction and obsession—we are in a "heap a trouble" here if we don't pay attention!
If we check our phones every fifteen minutes and are engaged in them for up to 150 minutes a day, when do we find time to idle down and check-in with the deeper layers of ourselves and with our Creator God?
That point is articulated so accurately by John Mark Comer in the book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. An end result of an overstimulated, digitally addicted life is that, "You feel disconnected from God, others, and your own soul. On those rare times when you stop to pray (and by pray, I don't mean ask God for stuff; I mean sit with God in the quiet), you're so stressed and distracted that your mind can't settle down long enough to enjoy the Father's company. Same with your friends; when you're with them, you're also with your phone or a million miles away in your mind, running down a to-do list. “And even when you're alone, you come face to face with the void that is your own soul and immediately run back to the familiar groove of busyness and digital distraction."
“Learning to spend time idling down in God’s presence brings peace. Take a look at the contract He offers—and we don’t have pay more for an upgrade. Psalm 29:11, “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace” (NIV). Isaiah calls Jesus “the Prince of Peace.” And Jesus Himself makes this statement in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (NIV).” Tech-Pecked or Tuned In.
Can I implore you to give yourself a game-changing gift? Carve out time tomorrow morning to quiet your heart before the Lord. Read the verses above and just sit and think about God’s goodness toward you. If your mind wanders, don’t stress out about that. Just bring it back to the moment, the present where the Lord of the Universe waits for you.