One of the latest crazes of the online world is the idea of JOMO. JOMO stands for the joy of missing out. It’s said that human beings are social, and we can see this right here at Wink's Online Bingo with all of our community bingo games. However, there seems to be a bit of an epidemic where people are choosing to stay in rather than heading out on a night out with friends, but actually doing this out of preference rather than social fears.

Previously, the idea of FOMO (the fear of missing out) was abundant, with people heading to and from as many clubs and parties that they could so that they didn’t miss out on having as good of a time as all of their friends. On the other hand, there is FOJI – the fear of joining in, which is caused by a number of social anxieties, leading to people staying in. But the question is, are you JOMO, FOMO or FOJI?

Jomo Meaning for Bingo Players  

Eons ago, the foremost thinkers among us acknowledged that human beings are a social species by design. We are driven by an innate desire for a sense of belonging within a community. Our social interactions satiate that need within us, in varying degrees. Whether it's transactional, or cooperative, our engagements with one another are designed to satisfy our need for social connections.

The game of bingo is the poster child of social interaction among people. It is competitive, but the social element is far more important in that it fosters a sense of community, excitement, and anticipation among players. What has the joy of missing out got to do with our need for social interaction? Jomo meaning seems to fly in the face of our need for social interaction… Have we lost our desire to communicate and interact with one another? Have we become loners? Lo and behold, it's not as bad as all that!

Jomo meaning is more about disconnecting from everything, and reconnecting with yourself. You may want to take time out from the Internet of Things (IoT), and just appreciate yourself. It’s about building a deeper understanding with oneself. It's like the legendary Yogic like Sadghuru says, ‘You need to know yourself to know yourself.’ Myriad distractions serve no purpose but to distance you from your innermost thoughts, convictions, and desires.

The true Jomo meaning is not about excommunication from society; it's a way of embracing all that you enjoy doing, in your own time, at your own pace. While we are doing our own thing, and living our own lives, we are really enjoying our lives. We don’t need to kowtow to the whims of others, on their terms. That’s why it's nice to know that WinkBingo – your friendly neighbourhood bingo site - allows you to be yourself and enjoy your favourite bingo games, at your leisure. 

You can be the connected disconnected player, or the disconnected connected player – whatever your heart desires. With virtual bingo games at your fingertips, you don't need to worry about the joy of missing out, because you’re really not missing out on anything – it's all there for you to enjoy as you see fit, on your terms. Join 75-ball bingo, 90-ball bingo, or 5-line bingo games as you wish – now that's the true jomo meaning.

The End of Fomjo

At the beginning of 2016, FOMO was hailed as one of the biggest causes of social anxiety of our generation, and appeared in the social media dictionary in 2011. FOMO is said to have been a product of the rise of social media, and is used to describe people who have the unjustified belief that they are missing out on the fun, and that everyone else is having a much better time than they are. There are a huge range of social channels that people can now check up on their friends and what they are doing, and with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter being the main culprits, in today’s society there seems to be no escape.

In addition to FOMO, another acronym was born – FOMOMO: fear of the mystery of missing out. This is where a person’s phone is broken or out of battery, and they are afraid of missing out because of what they CAN’T see on social media, rather than from viewing all of the fun times people are having on their channels. However, there seems to have been a shift in recent years towards a more of a stay-at-home attitude. 

The Rise Of JOMO

JOMO is the complete opposite to FOMO and it is where you simply relish the time alone, unplugging emails, texts and all social networks, and simply cultivating your very own relationship with yourself. Once upon a time, you’d have been dubbed a loser or a nerd if you wanted to stay in and read the latest book you’ve bought, binge watch a box set simply because you don’t want to leave the house, or you’re simply became more of a JOMO as a way to save pennies. 

Now there is a whole new culture that actually encourages this. With phrases like ‘Netflix & Chill’ (aside from its connotative meaning), you-time really is something that you can enjoy and not worry that you’re missing out – simply because all of your friends will be doing exactly the same thing. With JOMO, you can engage in solitude and focus inwards to help resolve and nurture personal behaviours with absolutely no distractions. 

With JOMO however, you don’t have to stay in to experience it. JOMO simply means that you are doing what you want to do, at your own comfortable pace, as soon as you want to do it. This means that if you want to head out of town to the nearest book fair, or you want to log into WINK Bingo and enjoy some time playing bingo from the comfort of your own home simply because you love doing it, then go for it! JOMO, while is not far flung from FOJI in terms of the staying in, it is through choice and confidence that people have adopted this attitude rather than through fear. 

FOJI

FOJI is an acronym for the fear of joining in, and if you’re more FOJI, you’re more likely to opt out of social media altogether, or at least be far less likely to keep your friends updated in the fear that your posts won’t get any likes or comments. Generally, this is down to social anxieties, but if you are a FOJI, it is easy to find the balance and find something that you really enjoy doing to gradually transform into more of a JOMO.

Finding the Balance

The power of social media has led to some people feeling like they need a break, and after all of the profile stalking and status updating, it’s no surprise if you feel the same way. Time alone is a great way to spend time getting to know yourself, and desire for solitude is a perfectly healthy and normal thing. While society tends to focus on those who are extroverts, the shift towards JOMO has led to more of an acceptance for those who enjoy simply staying in, and doing what they like to do without worrying about anything or anyone else. 

No matter whether you’re a FOMO, JOMO or a FOJI, if you’re totally at peace with the way that you are and enjoy your time doing exactly what you are doing, then keep at it. While JOMO is supposedly the ideal state of mind according to psychologists, there is a borderline between FOMO, JOMO and FOJI which is very easy to cross in all directions. Find hobbies that you love to do, and log in to WINK Bingo to play some of your favourite online games now!