--- title: "Tech Talk: Is there a Cure for FOMO?" description: Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS admits that her use of some social media can border on the compulsive. What do you do to alleviate your fear of missing out? --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/03/10/tech-talk-is-there-a-cure-for-fomo#) [MEDIA](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/media) # Tech Talk: Is there a Cure for FOMO? Mar 10, 2016 7:00:05 AM  |  by [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) [![tech talk redesign](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/tech-talk-redesign-550x260-22.png?width=550&height=260&name=tech-talk-redesign-550x260-22.png)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/tech-talk-redesign-78.png) FOMO: it's the dread disease suffered by social-media users. No, it's not a repetitive-stress injury, at least not the way carpal tunnel syndrome is. But Fear of Missing Out is a problem. And it can cause stress. Sometimes it's easier not to get on Facebook at all rather than try to remember where I left off reading last time--that is, IF I can get Facebook to stop showing me stuff that's 3 days old rather than posts made only 3 minutes ago. I don't want to miss any important updates from my friends and family, so I find myself struggling with the system, trying to get it to show me what I didn't yet see. It's even worse, for me, on Twitter. If I haven't logged on in 24 hours, I'll only get to see about the last 7 hours of tweets. What if something important happened 9 hours ago? I won't see it! This is probably why power users of Twitter who are promoting their blog posts will schedule those tweets several times over--that way no one will miss them. But I obsess about being able to see ALL THE TWEETS. Clearly I'm way too invested in my social-media life. And I have no intention of walking away from it. So what's a compulsive social-media user to do? I don't want to devote more time or energy to social media. It's part of my professional life as well as my personal life, after all. Using Twitter lists does help, but I haven't found a technical solution to my anxious double-checking of timestamps that ensures I haven't been left in the (digital) dust. One thing I didn't miss on Twitter was this gem from Pope Francis (follow him [@pontifex](https://twitter.com/pontifex)) who tweeted while I was writing this piece: > "May the Lord free us from all temptation that separates us from what is essential in our mission and help rediscover the beauty of faith." That's good advice for me and my fellow FOMO sufferers. **Do you have FOMO? How do you deal with it?**   [![Created in Canva by Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Is-There-a-Cure-for-FOMO-702x336.png?width=702&height=336&name=Is-There-a-Cure-for-FOMO-702x336.png)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Is-There-a-Cure-for-FOMO.png) Created in Canva by Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.   *Copyright 2016 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F03%2F10%2Ftech-talk-is-there-a-cure-for-fomo%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F03%2F10%2Ftech-talk-is-there-a-cure-for-fomo%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F03%2F10%2Ftech-talk-is-there-a-cure-for-fomo%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Tech%20Talk%3A%20Is%20there%20a%20Cure%20for%20FOMO%3F) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F03%2F10%2Ftech-talk-is-there-a-cure-for-fomo%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F03%2F10%2Ftech-talk-is-there-a-cure-for-fomo%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/BSzyszkiewicz%202022.jpg) ### [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at [CatholicMom.com](http://catholicmom.com), is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at [FranciscanMom](http://franciscanmom.com) and her family’s favorite recipes with nutrition information at [Cook and Count](http://cookandcount.wordpress.com). Barb is the author of *[The Handy Little Guide to Prayer](https://amzn.to/2LQB2oL)* and * [The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours](https://amzn.to/3wbDB8k)*, available from Our Sunday Visitor. ## Related Blog Articles [ Meatless Friday: Three Hearty Soups for Autumn Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/meatless-friday-three-hearty-soups-for-autumn) [ Your Family and the Triduum Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/your-family-and-the-triduum) [ Meatless Friday: Vegetarian Tortilla Soup for Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2020/01/17/meatless-friday-vegetarian-tortilla-soup-for-slow-cooker-or-instant-pot/) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to receive our free daily digest email. Copyright © 2026 CatholicMom.com. All Rights Reserved.