Overcoming FOMO through Imam Al-Ghazali's Sufism: A Spiritual Approach in the Digital Era

The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) phenomenon is a psychological issue that is associated with the widespread use of social media in the digital and social media era. This study aims to identify the definition of FOMO, its negative impact on individuals, as well as the approach to overcome it through the perspective of Imam al-Ghazali's Sufism. The study methodology uses a qualitative approach that involves literature and text analysis. The literature involved academic journals related to FOMO, while the text analysis focused on the work of Imam al-Ghazali, Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, to integrate the principles of Sufism in dealing with this phenomenon. The results showed that FOMO, which is defined as feelings of anxiety due to fear of losing meaningful experiences, has various negative effects, such as a high desire to gain social recognition, increased neuroticism, and other negative effects discussed in this study. Imam al-Ghazali's Sufism approach, which emphasises attachment only to Allah and the reduction of love for the world, is a practical solution that can be practiced. The principle of zuhd helps individuals let go of attachment to the world, tawakkul reduces anxiety by surrendering to the decrees of Allah, and other approaches according to the perspective of Imam al-Ghazali are discussed in this study as a measure to avoid being affected by the problem of FOMO symptoms.

FOMO, Social Media, Imam al-Ghazali, Sufism, Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn

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