I have FOMO: fear of mental overload
AN AIR fryer reduced from £49 to £3.99 – sounds too good to be true, right?
But if you were hovering on the internet on Friday and you saw the Amazon “glitch” story set social media alight then you may well have taken the chance.
No judgment here – I pushed that big red “buy” button too, 99 per cent sure that the order would be cancelled but, like the many, many memes said, ready to chance it anyway.
If you missed it, an Amazon marketplace seller slashed the must-have kitchen item’s price, some thought by accident, prompting an influx of sales before it was corrected.
Others were quick to say the seller was just ramping up their sales figures with no intention of fulfilling orders – and more still cried “scam”.
Of course, I’ve had a cancellation email since and so has everyone I know, from work colleagues who took the plunge to the WhatsApp forwarders – the ones who let you know just a little bit too late.
But I’m fairly confident I’ll get my four quid back, or Jeff Bezos will be hearing from me.
The promise of healthier chips aside, what drove many of us, I suspect, is FOMO – fear of missing out. And the fear is real, folks.
It’s also why I downloaded TikTok a few weeks ago – and then stared, transfixed, one Sunday as strangers from around the world told me things about their life that would have made my sailor Granda blush.
TikTok represents a younger generation coming for us 30-somethings, ditching the filter-tinged world of Instagram or the Facebook maws for a series of in-jokes, home truths and funny one-liners.
Which is all well and good, until you realise that the TikTok selfie filter makes you look like a supermodel even if you haven’t touched a hairbrush in a week.
The point is I couldn’t resist a download to see what everyone was talking about.
Now, my job wouldn’t exist without the internet so I’m not here to tell you that your iPhone is the devil and it’s taking your money (air fryer) and your sanity (TikTok). We all carry the world in our pockets these days, infinite knowledge at our fingertips – it’s incredible.
Still, I don’t know about you but I’ve been living through my phone and my computer screen for the past 18 months, and it’s getting a bit dull.
As I set up my out of office for a two week holiday, I’m ditching the social media FOMO and switching off for a bit.
Keep your air fryer and leave me in peace to listen to the radio without wondering which viral dance goes with which tune – I’m off on an adventure or two that won’t make it to social media. The next big viral life hack, craze or must-buy item can wait!