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Fomo and the Image of the Self: from College Campuses to Madison Avenue

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Fomo and the Image of the Self: from College Campuses to Madison Avenue View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Union College: Union | Digital Works Union College Union | Digital Works Honors Theses Student Work 6-2017 FoMO and The mI age of The elS f: From College Campuses to Madison Avenue Rachel McDermott Union College - Schenectady, NY Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation McDermott, Rachel, "FoMO and The mI age of The eS lf: From College Campuses to Madison Avenue" (2017). Honors Theses. 60. https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/60 This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at Union | Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Union | Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FoMO and The Image of The Self From College Campuses to Madison Avenue By: Rachel McDermott * * * * * * * * * Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Honors in the Department of Anthropology UNION COLLEGE March, 2017 Abstract Rachel McDermott FoMO and The Image of The Self: From College Campuses to Madison Avenue FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) is a modern social expression used in reference to an individual emotional experience generally associated with social media. This anthropological dissertation aims to explore the emotional expression of FoMO in relation to society and the self. The study begins with an analysis of academic literatures on emotions, the self, and cultures such as social media. Social media culture enables the self to be created and maintained in accordance to the societies interpretation of the ideal self. This ideal self perpetuates emotional reactions such as FoMO. Based on guided interviews with advertisers, this thesis examines the ways in which social media allows the corporate world to market and brand objects in a seeming human self. Further, interviews at Union College with social media users as well as “Instagrammers” help to examine the real life understanding and application of FoMO. The additional examination of Instagrammers displays the ways that individual selves are created and promoted to others. Social media users perceive FoMO to originate from the pressures of appearing and maintaining a self that is the perceived ideal. This study ultimately contributes to the understanding of FoMO as an emotional experience, generated by society and the self. 2 Acknowledgments My profound thank you to Professor Samet of the Union College Anthropology Department for giving me his guidance and insight during the process of writing this paper. It never would have happened without you Professor Samet and our discussions along with your critiques and encouragement helped bring the preliminary concept I had as a junior to a successful completion. We discussed this paper all over the world and I truly appreciate the time and effort you spent working with me. Also, thank you to my father Bruce for bringing a helpful outside perspective, editing and disusing my paper throughout the entire process in the little free time he had. As well as to my mother Sally, and to my Nana, Nancy, for being clear minds who read this thesis in its final stages, providing their thoughts and encouragement throughout. 3 CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................. 2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 5 WHAT IS FOMO......................................................................................................................................................... 5 CENTRAL QUESTION ................................................................................................................................................. 7 METHODS ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................... 10 LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................................................... 12 ANTHROPOLOGY OF EMOTIONS ............................................................................................................................ 12 SOCIAL TECHNOLOGIES OF THE SELF .................................................................................................................. 21 SOCIAL MARKETING.............................................................................................................................................. 28 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................................... 32 HOW TO BE YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE NOT A PERSON ........................................................ 35 HUMANIZING ADVERTISING .................................................................................................................................. 37 TAILORING .............................................................................................................................................................. 39 BIDIRECTIONAL CONVERSATION .......................................................................................................................... 40 BRANDING ............................................................................................................................................................... 42 CHALLENGES OF BRANDING.................................................................................................................................. 44 STORY TELLING ...................................................................................................................................................... 45 IMPULSIVITY AND ACCESSIBILITY ........................................................................................................................ 47 CREATING INANIMATE LIFE .................................................................................................................................. 49 BRANDING BARKER ............................................................................................................................................. 50 CREATING A PERSONA ........................................................................................................................ 54 SNAP SHOTS ............................................................................................................................................................ 56 MEDIA ETIQUETTE ................................................................................................................................................ 57 THE SELF AS A PRODUCT ...................................................................................................................................... 60 JUDGMENT ............................................................................................................................................................... 62 MEDIATION ............................................................................................................................................................. 64 RELATIONSHIPS ...................................................................................................................................................... 65 IS THERE A SELF? ................................................................................................................................................... 67 INSTAGRAMMERS ................................................................................................................................. 69 INSTAGRAMMER “SELF” ........................................................................................................................................ 71 CONSTRUCTING AN IDENTITY ............................................................................................................................... 72 APPEARANCE OF FALSEHOOD ............................................................................................................................... 74 DESPERATELY SEEKING FOMO ........................................................................................................ 77 FEAR OF APPEARING TO BE MISSING OUT .......................................................................................................... 78 MANIFESTATION OF FOMO .................................................................................................................................. 79 DISCUSSION SURROUNDING FOMO ..................................................................................................................... 80 PRODUCTS AND LIFE STYLE .................................................................................................................................. 83 WITHOUT MEDIA ................................................................................................................................................... 85 CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................................................
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