FOMO And Regional Politics: Democracy Under Anxiety
Every time a local issue explodes, the timeline turns into an impromptu courtroom. Allegations of corruption, video clips of speeches, news of conflict without context in a matter of hours triggered thousands of comments.
Links are shared without being read in full. Headlines are treated as facts. Netizens felt they had to attend. Must behave. Must look unmissable. Speed is praised. Verification pending.
Behind this habit operates a powerful psychological impulse. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). The fear of being left behind becomes the syndrome. In social psychology, FOMO is related to the need for affiliation and recognition. Humans want to be accepted. Humans are afraid of being isolated.
Social comparison theory explains the urge to “Judge oneself by others.” The digital space makes this comparison ongoing.
Busy lifting algorithm. The bandwagon effect encourages people to follow the majority flow. The spiral of silence makes those who are in doubt choose silence. Local politics became an arena for rapid reactions.
“This is not an ideology.”
“That’s not a doctrine.”
It was just a soft whisper, “Don’t miss out on it.”
In regional politics, FOMO turns into a reflex. Issues arise. Full timeline. People feel obliged to speak out. Not because they understand, but because they are afraid of being absent. Silence is read as an attitude. Silence is considered partiality. Speed is revered as caring.
All this is called participation. All this is hailed as political awareness. Even though those who work often have “social anxiety”. Fear of losing momentum. Fear of losing your position in a crowd. Politics moves fast. Politics becomes shallow. Lots of noise. But a little consideration.
Those who wait are considered slow. Those who ask for data are suspicious. Democracy needs a break.
Democracy requires reason. FOMO leaves no room for either. He demanded an immediate response. He turns public space into a stage to prove himself in anxiety leading to fear.
In the end, it’s not just someone’s reputation that falls. What collapsed was the power of collective thinking. Democracy continues to operate. But his breath was short.
“This is driven by a fear of being left behind, not a mature belief.”
Noise appears as awareness. Noise is equated with concern.
The way out is simple but difficult. Dare to be quiet for a moment. Dare to read in full. Dare to delay comment. Literacy must take precedence over sensation. Ethics must be upheld before opinions are released. Otherwise, regional politics will continue to be led by fear, not by responsible common sense.
By Kico Lamanepa
(Former Larantuka Diocese Magazine Manager)
PakarPBN
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