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The Conversation
The Conversation
Jacqueline Rifkin, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Cornell University

Feeling FOMO for something that’s not even fun? It’s not the event you’re missing, it’s the bonding

They had so much fun without me. Milko/E+ via Getty Images

Imagine you’ve planned the trip of a lifetime for your animal-loving family: a cruise to Antarctica with the unique opportunity to view penguins, whales and other rare wildlife. Your adventure-loving kids can kayak through fjords, plunge into icy water and camp under the Antarctic sky.

But rather than being ecstatic, as you anticipated, your kids whine about skipping an after-school scout meeting at a neighbor’s house. Missing this ordinary weekly event triggers such intense FOMO – “fear of missing out” – for them that they don’t want to go on your amazing expedition.

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