BIG ISSUE, 18 May 2024: ‘FOSO is the new FOMO: Why are we so afraid to switch off and be out of office?’
“The rise of 24/7 connectivity, and the increase in home working, has made it harder for us to feel as if we have a solid boundary between our personal and professional lives. We can be contacted wherever we are, at any time of day, leading to an increased sense of guilt if we are not ‘always on’.”
Career coach Victoria McLean agrees, adding that constant connectivity has created a “conditioning by society to be constantly doing”. While many are understandably egged on by desires for a “pay rise or promotion,” a lot of the reason is down to “the weight of identity that we give work in our lives”. It is 87% of our lives timewise, so its importance to our identity is clearly outbalanced.
Financial pressures are another big motivator. Sturmer explains, “The cost of living crisis has led to an increased sense of vulnerability and insecurity in the workplace. So, if we were already feeling under pressure to perform at work, this is likely to make us feel even more driven to work harder and for longer, to prove our worth and make ourselves invaluable.”
The article can be read in full here.
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