What does “FOMO” and “JOMO” mean in British slang?

Have you ever suffered from FOMO or JOMO? If you’ve no idea what I’m talking about, then it could be argued that you’re in fact already a victim of them without knowing!

So FOMO, F-O-M-O what is it? This relatively new acronym stands for the expression fear of missing out, used to describe that feeling of anxiety which many people experience when they discover that other people have had fun together, spent time together or done just about anything which they were not a part of.

We’ve all experienced FOMO, or the “fear of missing out,” but what about JOMO? JOMO describes the exact opposite to FOMO, JOMO is the acronym for joy of missing out.

Essentially it is a feeling of pleasure you get from spending time doing what you want and not worrying about what other people are doing or saying. If you’re more than content to stay in and watch a film and curl up on the sofa, that’s the joy of missing out.

Both terms are the latest examples of the way electronic communication, and especially online discourse, have raised the use of acronyms in everyday language. Although mainly found online we can still use them in everyday speech.

Such as:

  • “I can’t believe I can’t go the the party, I have such FOMO”
  • “I am so happy I am not going to that party, I have JOMO this evening”

That’s the end of our episode so remember to tune in for our next episode so see what new slang we have in store for you!

Are you experiencing JOMO or FOMO? Let us know!

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