AT THE FEET OF THE MOTHER
Ask Alok da

I often experience a Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) when I’m not active on social media platforms like Instagram or when I think about deleting my accounts. It’s about missing out on what’s happening in other people’s lives, falling behind on the latest trends, conversations, or even useful content related to my interests like painting, health, and more. What if I feel disconnected without being on these platforms? Also, Why do these feelings arise, and how can I manage them in a healthier way without relying on social media for a sense of belonging or staying informed😥?

These feelings arise from the collective suggestions that are floating around. The more one externalises through these means such as the social media provides, the more we get caught up in this whirlpool of suggestions. It is like a vicious cycle with regard to any habit. The more you try to quit, the more you miss and the more you succumb to it, the more you become vulnerable to missing it. So you see it is like an addiction. One has to first realise that the social media platforms rarely provide any true deep knowledge. They act like a stimulant that excite the taste buds. But if you really want to study a subject or go deep into it you have to go about it methodically. 

Secondly there is a need to diversify your interests which should include actual physical activities such as reading, writing, exercise, cultivating hobbies etc. That is to say instead of being a passive recipient to the mass of information being churned around you need to dynamically engage with it by reflecting, raising questions,  trying to understand etc rather than letting it all sink blindly. 

Finally try to step back from this whirlpool and sit quietly for some time, alone with yourself. Try to find the meaning of your life, the purpose of your existence, the path you must take, the work you are here to do. Initially it takes little effort of will but if you persist then soon you wonder how you could have been otherwise and how one was sucked into the whirlpool of the mass of amorphous vibrations projected through the social media. 

Affectionately,

Alok Da

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