What started as a Hokkien slang has become a popular hashtag in social media. #FOMO, which stands for “fear of missing out”, comes from the Singaporean-English word “kiasu”. In “kiasu”, “Kia” means afraid, whereas “su” means to lose. However, this expression is not only a widely known hashtag but also a trait that describes most Singaporeans.


Singapore is a small young nation that associates being “kiasu” as a key to success. Parents instill this characteristic in their children at a very early age. This is because these parents believe that hard work, ambition, and motivation will make up for their country’s lack of natural resources.