Understanding Cognition: FOMO - Manipulation By Fear Of Missing Out

As I was browsing my Google Plus feed the other day, I came across a reply to a post that had me chuckling away. The post that it was replying to bore absolutely no relation to the content making it obvious spam content.

However this piece of spam intrigued me, not because I was interested in what it was advertising. It was more because of the type of mind state the spammer was trying to create in the minds of the readers' of his text.

The spammer was trying to create the feeling of, fear of missing out, more popularly known as FOMO. So before we find out exactly how and what the spammer was trying to use FOMO for. Let's take a quick look at how this cognitive bias effects modern society.

Fashionable FOMO

It would be hard to argue against the fact that as we progress in society things move faster and faster.

Part of our perception of how fast things are moving is based on our age. As young children everything seems to take forever. Being given a five minute time out when you're a toddler might as well be a life sentence.

The school summer break seems to last months when you're just 10 or 11 years old. However as you grow older time seems to speed up. Whereas a year used to seem to stretch on for aeons, as you mature that state of affairs reveals itself as purely illusory.

However there is a very real and quantifiable way; regardless of your age, to observe that things are actually speeding up at a societal level.

There are many things that have sped up in the last half century, but none is more stark than the speed of information.

For instance, in 1888 Ludvig Nobel, brother of the famous inventor of the prize Alfred, died on a visit to Cannes. A French newspaper erroneously printed that it was in fact Alfred that had died. The error meant that Alfred got to see his own obituary and didn't like what he read, which led him to later set up the Nobel Prize.

The point of this story is that it took many months before people were aware that this was an error. We can in fact be sure that there were people whom might have read Nobel's obituary and weren't aware it was an error for many years hence.

Imagine if that happened today; a celebrity or famous businessperson was erroneously reported dead. By the time you came to Google it, there would already be correcting articles for you to read. In fact, unless you happened to be logged onto the site that reported the death - or of course Twitter - at the time. Then the chances are you would miss the entire (non) event completely. Instead the story would be how so-and-so website could have made such an error in the first place.

With Great Speed Comes Great Paranoia

The residual effect of having all of the information in the universe just a few clicks away, is the increasing feeling that you're mission out on something, anything.

You see, if you know that there is all this information whizzing about, and it is freely available to anyone with a computer, internet connection and half a brain. Plus of course, you are also acutely aware that the information that is so readily available cannot be acquired, filtered and made sense of by you alone. Then that is going to engender a feeling that from moment-to-moment you may well be missing out on something important.

This state of affairs unfortunately leaves you open to be taken advantage of. Sometimes it's in quite subtle and mostly benign ways. For instance you may have decided on a particular purchase. Maybe you want to buy a yoga mat so that you can chill out and take a break from this fast paced life.

You Google yoga mats and come up with a plethora of sites selling your desired purchase. Then one ad catches your eye and it talks about how they are selling the best grade of mat for HALF PRICE!

And you'd better HURRY WHILE STOCKS LAST! Or words to that effect. This is an example of you getting fomo'd. Of course most of us know that this is a tactic, and are aware that we are not in danger of missing out, and stocks will last into the foreseeable future.

However, companies are aware that you are aware of this tactic. So now they create real deadlines and use things like LIMITED OFFER. Aha! Then you very well might miss out on that yoga mat offer... hurry BUY NOW!

A Not So Secret Society

Okay back to the FOMO spam that I noticed the other day on Google Plus. Below is a slightly edited version, with all the contact details removed.

JOIN THE ILLUMINATI NOW. (+27)--***

OUR MISSION
To free minds from the chains they've been confined to. We know that the masses are awakening, and that they're ready to get rid of what holds human civilization back.

We all die. The goal isn't immortality, it's to create something, a system or a future, that is. Be a part of something bigger, and get reward generously for it.

The world wealthy society
You were born free and die free but will you live free? As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge. JOIN our powerful society to gain and practice secret knowledge and information that was once only accessible by the privileged elite and society members.This is a private, exclusive, members-only global association.

No matter how much the rich have, they always want more. And the richer you are, the more you get. And the more you get, the less others get, so you are actively making the poor poorer.

Isn't that the world we live in? That's how we have the 1% versus the 99%. They will take everything from us, unless we take it all back from them. The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

Contact __________ at (+27)--***
Email [email protected]

FOMO Breakdown

JOIN THE ILLUMINATI NOW. (+27)--***

This is in case you have FOMO real bad, the word NOW will start to stir it within you.

We know that the masses are awakening

Here again, you know that stuff is happening, you need to be part of it!

Be a part of something bigger, and get reward generously for it.

There is something bigger than you happening and you can be part of it, and it will make you money; don't miss out!

As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge.

It is your very routine that is causing you to miss out!

JOIN our powerful society to gain and practice secret knowledge and information that was once only accessible by the privileged elite and society members

Phew! You mean I WON'T miss out on this secret, privileged, knowledge and information if I JOIN?

This is a private, exclusive, members-only global association.

In other words you are not just going to stumble upon this amazing information. Everyday you are missing out on things that only members are privy to.

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

You are missing out on being successful because you don't have the will to access all of this juicy information that will make you RICH!

Further Reading:

Fear Of Missing Out - Wiki

Illuminati - Wiki

WHAT DO YOU FEAR MISSING OUT ON? A BETTER JOB, HOUSE OR CAR? OR MAYBE YOU FEAR THAT YOU WILL REGRET MISSING OUT ON SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE? AS EVER, LET ME KNOW BELOW!

Title image: Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash

Cryptogee