The fear of missing out, or FOMO, can lead to actual physical pain, Israeli researchers are claiming.
They focused specifically on FOMO as manifested by cellphone fixation for fear of missing messages, posts or notifications. The researchers found a direct correlation between device dependency and two markers of stress and anxiety: teeth grinding and jaw pain. People who are less attached to their phones also sleep better, with less interrupted shut-eye.
“We believe these symptoms are related to FOMO, fear of missing out,” said Dr. Pessia Friedman-Rubin, of Tel Aviv University’s dental school. “People are constantly using their phones because they are worried they will miss something, and check WhatsApp, Facebook and other apps.
“This creates a cycle of growing dependency on cellphones, which leads to feelings of stress and anxiety, and the feeling that someone might write something on social media and I’ll miss it and not be in the loop. In short, phones are actually causing many people stress, and we’re seeing physical manifestations of this.”
Read more at Times of Israel.
{Matzav.com}
