User:Thijshijsijsjss/Human Parser/About FOMO

Optional About the fear of missing out, and how IF opposes that. ~1 paragraph. In search for references.

FOMO -- 'the fear of missing out' -- is a symptom characterizing a generation (blehg). It is often not just a fear, but a self-fulfilling prophecy. Amidst constant exposure to social media, no barrier to consuming world news, ubiquitous contradicting voices trying to convince you to live life in specific ways, one can easily feel paralyzed. It speaks to the notion there's a way to 'fail' in experiencing life, that is only reinforced by the way social media encourages comparisons to the way others are experiencing. We don't want to fail, and we are hesitant to commit to any choice that might be a wrong one.

Multi-linear or non-linear narratives (such as text-adventures) are interesting in the current landscape of consumption in that they fundamentally oppose the notion of experiencing it all. The only way to proceed is by going down one path, and leaving behind another. Exploring one path in a branching narrative can leave you wondering about the 'missed options', but even going back to check out another is different from being exposed to them all at once. The creators of the branching cyberdrama Deep Simulator note:

Xu Cong: It's the lack of boundaries that causes this overwhelming and disorienting feeling, right?

Ag: Yes. That which we see in our experiences has boundaries, then suddenly you're in a world that has no boundaries, no clear path, and you don't know what to do. (Ag, 2021)

Having to make decisions that (irreversibly) lead you down one path of content while leaving behind another is a rare discomfort nowadays. But it is a precious discomfort. I'd like to start the section with a personal remark, that maybe can get it's resolution here. Why is that discomfort precious to me?

References

• Ag (2021) Deep Simulator. Translated by Keeler, J.A. Shanghai: 51 Personae, London, UK: Tabula Rasa Gallery.