Where the hashtag FOMO came from

admin 2018年6月26日

Vocabulary:

commonplace /KOM-uhn-pleys/

[adjective] happening often or often seen or experienced
These days, battery-powered cars have become commonplace.

grasping /GRAS-ping/

[adjective] greedy or always eager to get more of something
Her grasping children fought over her property after she died.

attribute /A-truh-byoot/

[verb] to say or think that something is the result of a particular thing
She attributed the success of her research to her 10 years of education in the university.

psyche /sahyk/

[noun] the mind, or the deepest thoughts, feelings, or beliefs of a person or group
The psycholgist Carl Jung is known for having studied the collective human psyche.

on the receiving end of (something) /on thuh ri-SEEV-ing end ov/

[idiom] suffering from something unpleasant when you have done nothing to deserve it
I’d hate to be on the receiving end of such verbal abuse.

The hashtag Fear of Missing Out or #FOMO, which has been going around the web for almost a decade, originated in Singapore. #FOMO comes from the Hokkien slang “kiasu” in which “kia” means afraid and “su” means to lose. It is a reflection of how Singaporeans want the best for themselves and hate losing out. Because of how commonplace “kiasu” has become, it was added in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2007. There, it was defined as a “grasping, selfish” personality.

Most Singaporeans attribute kiasuism to their being ambitious and desire to be the best. As Singapore is situated in the middle of South East Asia, the need to be self-reliant and competitive has become a part of their social psyche. However, it remains to be a controversial attitude to adopt. Many Singaporeans dislike being on the receiving end of kiasuism but continue to practice it themselves.

True or False:

The word #FOMO was added to the dictionary in 2017 with the definition of “grasping, selfish” quality.
The need for being self-reliant was brought about by Singapore’s geographical location.
Singaporeans are competitive because they don’t want to miss out on things.
Kiasu is a common attitude that is seen in Singapore.
Singaporeans practice kiasuism while hating others who do the same.

Discussion Questions:

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of kiasuism?
Do people in your country practice kiasuism or something like it? Discuss.
What is a common attitude of people in your country that needs to be changed? Please provide your reasons.
Do you think social media caused people to be more selfish? Why or why not?
Is following a trend better than starting a new one? Discuss.

Express Your Opinion:

Just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s right.
Practice what you preach.
“The world is so competitive, aggressive, consumive, selfish and during the time we spend here we must be all but that.” – Josh Mourinho