Stoicism vs FOMO

Have you ever woken up or relaxed for a moment and opened TikTok, hoping to find content that refreshes your mind? But instead of meaningful or uplifting content, you end up seeing people parodying a song that actually has deep lyrics — but it’s been turned into background music for silly, meaningless dances. Sadly, these moves become templates, copied by hundreds or maybe thousands of people (mostly young), just to gain recognition or land on the FYP (For You Page). Even worse, these types of content get watched by thousands, commented on, and go viral, until the creator forgets why they even made the video in the first place.

If we look deeper, this isn’t just a TikTok issue. It’s a human issue — showing how easily people fall prey to the need for validation. We get fooled by big view counts, lots of likes, and fake praise in the comments. But all we really get is momentary happiness, not real fulfillment. I call it momentary because our brain doesn’t realize it’s being steered by digital algorithms that know the more we like a type of content, the more often it appears in our feed. Eventually, our brains go numb, and without realizing it, our lives are controlled by what’s trending. This is where Stoicism becomes important: it teaches us to stop chasing external approval, stop focusing on numbers, and start focusing on what really matters within ourselves. Without this focus, we risk becoming trend-chasers, fooling ourselves just to be accepted.

Why Do Silly Trends Go Viral So Easily?

In today’s digital world, dumb trends can go viral within hours. This happens because social media algorithms (like TikTok’s) are designed to push eye-catching content fast. Unique, funny, or even controversial posts get lots of views, likes, comments, and shares, boosting both the content and the account’s visibility. Using trending sounds or viral dances increases the chances of your content appearing on others’ For You Pages.

Viral content is also driven by the culture of sharing. The more people share something, the more visible it becomes. Even meaningless content can blow up quickly because of the perfect mix of algorithms, sharing culture, and emotional triggers.

Why Do People Mindlessly Join Trends?

Humans are social creatures who crave acceptance and recognition. When we see something trending, we often feel pressured to join in — not just to look cool, but also out of fear of becoming an “outcast” or falling behind. This is called the Bandwagon Effect: the more people join in, the stronger the pressure to participate. On social media, this combines with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) — the fear that if you don’t join a trend, you’ll be seen as uncool.

By making trendy content, people hope to get lots of views, likes, and comments, pushing their content to go viral. This shows how social media can make people do things they’d never do in real life, just to feel part of the digital culture. As a result, people end up creating silly or meaningless content just for brief fame.

The Mental and Social Impact

Following viral trends can harm mental health. People can feel anxious if their content doesn’t get much attention, leading to discomfort, self-doubt, and feeling worthless. It also impacts physical health and productivity, as they spend hours scrolling, chasing trends, and seeking fake validation.

We’ve even seen real-world effects — like a village in Sukabumi, where many former farmers left their jobs to become TikTok dancers, copying viral moves just for views.

It’s also risky, especially for teens who might abandon shame and do reckless or harmful things. For example, TikTok user @galihloss3 staged a prank where he falsely accused a motorcyclist of theft, nearly causing the man to be attacked by a mob.

Beyond that, viral trends can increase individualism and numb people’s empathy. For instance, when an Indonesian's content creator was kicked out by LA residents during a January 2025 wildfire, locals accused him of filming without permission and being insensitive to victims’ suffering. As one local said, “They try to monetize our pain, and they don’t understand it”

How Stoicism Helps You Break Free

Stoicism teaches us to focus on what we can control and accept what we can’t. In the digital world, we can’t control what goes viral, but we can control what we consume and how we react. This allows us to wisely choose useful content and ignore the meaningless.

Stoicism also teaches us to avoid chasing external validation. We don’t need to feel anxious or worthless if we don’t get tons of likes, views, or comments — especially when they have no real meaning. Find your value within, not in what others expect.

Finally, Stoicism encourages us to live by our own values, not just follow trends. It’s easy to get swept up by social media, but Stoicism reminds us to stay true to ourselves and avoid meaningless distractions. This helps us live authentically, focusing on what truly benefits us.

“And these promises broken

Deep below

Each word gets lost in the echo

So one last lie I can see through

This time I finally let you

Go, go, go"

Lost In Echo by Linkin' Park

#Stoicism #FOMO #Mindfulness #DigitalDetox #ViralCulture #SocialMediaAddiction #Authenticity #MentalHealth #TrendyVsMeaningful #OnlineValidation