Muhasabah As A Regulative Effort For Digital Natives Who Identified Fear of Missing Out (Fomo)
Muhasabah As A Regulative Effort For Digital Natives Who Identified Fear of Missing Out (Fomo)
Abstract
Digital native is known as the generation that is literate about digital technology and makes the
internet a part of their life. Social media as a tool of connectedness on the internet for digital native
can always be connected to each other. The high-level increase of social media usage causes digital
native always wanting to know the circumstances and experiences accomplished by others through
accessing social media. This desire has the possibility to become a fear when anxiety and worries
intensively arise due to loss of news or events experienced by others. This fear is referred to as fear of
missing out (FoMO). The method in this study is the study of literature (literature review). The data
obtained are compiled, analyzed, and concluded so as to obtain conclusions regarding the study of
literature. This study tries to illustrate that muhasabah as a regulative effort can help the digital native
identified by FoMO in order to contemplate, introspect and understand the state of the self as a form
of worship towards God and is determined to change the state of the self to be better than before with
Islam way.
Keywords: Fear of Missing Out, Digital Native, Muhasabah
PRELIMINARY
As the development increase through modern times, human life can not be separated from all
things related to the internet. Various activities and activities carried out by Indonesian people are
always connected to the internet such as the development of hobbies, lifestyle and appearance, online
shopping, entertainment, learning facilities and extensive knowledge and virtual communication.
Supratman (2018) states that entering this internet era, many people find facilities connect them to
interact with each other, communicate, work and think as a digital society or can be referred to as
(digital native). The development of this internet technology has spread to various sectors of life in
a practical and fast way without space and time limits which can trigger increasing useness of the
internet itself.
Based on data from Google Consumer Behavior by Kemp (2018) outlines that Indonesia with
a total population of 265.4 million has 50% internet users. One-half of the number of internet
users ar digital native, where Indonesia also ranks sixth in the most internet users in the world.
The generation whose lives are always connected to cyberspace and brought up when the internet
culture is increasingly widespread is called digital native or digital generation. Ibrahim (2011)
explains that the generation is raised in interactive digital media, has a solitary character (decrease of
socialization), communicates personally and is close to the computer. The state of the community
that is flooded with information, media and communication tends to result in attention becoming
a scarce resource (Twenge et al., 2018). The facilities and diversity provided by internet resulting the
users experiencing a significant increase in time using the internet. Text messages have evolved to
become cheaper and easier to use over time, and in turn, their use has increased (Lister-Landman,
Domoff, & Dubow, 2017). Increased time spent in excessive use of the internet can cause problems
called internet addiction.
on the productivity of daily life through introspection and realizing the importance of changing
for the better and becoming a pious and productive person. Muhasabah and self-introspection can
make individuals have mental and spiritual conditions that are healthy because it is the application
of Ihsan (always feeling supervised by God) and perform various potential developments that can
make individuals become more productive (Ahmad, 2018).
LITERATURE REVIEW
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is interpreted by Przybylski, Murayama, Dehaan, and Gladwell
(2013) as concerns over the experience or more satisfying moments of others and the encouragement
to always connect with others. A strong desire to always be connected with what is being done by
others through cyberspace so that someone always wants to check his social media accounts to see
the activities carried out by others and be willing to ignore their own activities (Przybylski, 2013).
The aspects of fear of missing out consist of (Przybylski et al., 2013), namely:
a. Not fulfilling the psychological need for relatedness
Relatedness is a person’s need to be able to join, connect and be with other people. If these
needs are not met the expectation can cause an individual to feel afraid or anxious so as
to find out the experience or news from others through the internet.
b. Not fulfilling one’s personal needs for competence
Competence is defined as the desire to feel effectively interacting with the environment,
the need to practice abilities and look for challenges. Low satisfaction with competence
allows individuals to feel frustrated and even hopeless.
c. Not self-fulfilling autonomy needs
Autonomy is the experience of feeling choices, support and willingness related to starting,
maintaining and ending behavioral involvement. Individuals are free to unite actions
carried out with themselves without being bound or gain control from others (as the
initiator and source of their actions).
The factors that influence fear of missing out consist of (Przybylski et al., 2013) as follows:
a. Age and gender
Based on a survey by the communication agency JWT Intelligence (2012) that the
younger generation aged 18-33 years is the most age group claiming to experience fear of
missing out as much as 72% compared to other generations. Followed by the age group
of adolescents 13-17 years as much as 56% in which male sex more easily experience the
FoMO.
b. Social networking site (SNS) users
Technology plays an important role in maintaining connectivity with people around. The
current generation focuses on interaction and connectivity with friends, family and the
surrounding using social media.
c. Motivation
Individuals who have a tendency to satisfy low psychological needs towards competence,
autonomy and relatedness with others are stated to have a high level of fear of losing the
moment (FoMO).
Other factors that influence FoMO are information disclosure on social media, age, social one-
upmanship, topics spread through the hashtag, relative deprivation conditions and the amount of
stimulus to find out information.
The characteristics of fear of missing out consist of (Przybylski et al., 2013) as follows:
a. Fear of losing valuable events from other individuals and groups. Fear is defined as
an emotional feeling that threatens an individual when he is connected or not in an
experience, event and conversation with others.
b. Fear of losing valuable events from other groups of individuals. Concern as a feeling that
arises when someone discovers that another person is having a pleasant event without his
present and feels a loss of opportunity to meet with that person or others.
c. The desire to stay connected (connected) with what other people do that causes feelings of
anxiety. Anxiety here is defined as a response or response to something unpleasant when
being connected or not on an event or conversation with another person.
Digital Native
The generation that grew up when the internet became a culture was digital native or millennial
generation. Ibrahim (2011) explains that the generation is raised in interactive digital media, has a
solitary character (there is a socialization), communicates personally and is close to the computer.
This generation considers that digital technology is an integral and inseparable part of his life
(Mardiana, 2011).
Digital native are those who were born when the digital environment developed such as
computers, video games, the internet and cell phones. They are accustomed to cognitive structures
that jump up and down, able to carry out several activities at a time, not focus on doing activities
or when learning which between learning time or activities, they cannot be separated from their
digital devices (Prensky, 2001). Akcayir (2016) explains that digital native is the generation born
after 1980 and grew up in an environment surrounded by technology and have the skills to use
technology compared to the previous generation.
Muhasabah
According to Imam Al-Ghazali, muhasabah is a remembrance of the deeds that have been
done in the past and the future. Based on ijma ’ulama, the muhasabah is obligatory, and demands
to hold fast to the book of Allah (i’tisham) and also istiqomah (whole and firm). Muhasabah is
also a form of self-reflection to find out and calculate what has been done so far before Allah will
reckon the charity on the Day of Judgment later (Ahmad, 2018). Saifuddin (2011), contemplating
in muhasabah is an attempt to make a change as a form of self-introspection of something that
has been done in his life, so that someone is able to make a repair and increase in the maximum.
Muhasabah as self-introspection is to pay attention and reflect on the good and bad things that have
been done, including the intentions and goals that have been done and calculate the profit and loss
of an action (Karzon, 2010).
According to Ibn Qayyim, Muhasabah of self consists two kinds namely (Ahmad, 2018):
1. Muhasabah before doing something, muhasabah which is done by observing the intention and
desire before doing an action or thing, should be done when crossing the heart’s path (worry)
within.
2. Muhasabah after doing something, consists of 3 types, namely:
a. Muhasabah themselves for obedience that is less than perfect and not doing what is
appropriate in perfecting worship of God.
b. Muhasabah themselves for actions that neglect the main worship and it is better to be left
behind than done.
c. Muhasabah for work and legal actions (mubah).
According to Ibn Qayyim, muhasabah also has tremendous influence and benefits including
knowing one’s own disgrace, being critical of him in carrying out Allah’s right, existence of
muraqabah (helping to be closer to God), improving relations between humans, far from being
hypocritical and getting closer to obey of Allah SWT (Ahmad, 2018). The following is an overview
of the framework for the study of this literature, namely as follows:
Digital native
Muhasabah Can regulate
Factors:
• Age and gender
• Social networking site (SNS) users
• Motivation
DISCUSSION
Communities experience periods in which technological transitions are driven by technology
(Grant & Dill-Shackleford, 2017). Digital native is a generation that grows in the digital age
and always has a fairly strong connection with each other. This generation considers that digital
technology is an integral and inseparable part of their life (Mardiana, 2011).
Digital technology certainly helps digital natives to be able to carry out various activities that
make it easier electronically such as marketing and promotional activities, educational tutorials,
dissemination of various information and social interactions in online. The internet can be an
effective medium for posting, exchanging (sharing) and gathering information in research and data
related to psychology (Riva, Teruzzi, & Anolli, 2003). This online social interaction strengthens the
connection between individuals to be able to communicate and see various events or experiences
that are owned by an individual by other individuals.
There are around 130 million active social media users in Indonesia (Kemp, 2018). This
indicates that the high frequency of usage in digital native as a generation whose life is always
related to the internet and communication technology to have an active connection even though it
does not have to be directly. Social media as a collection of broad digital platforms that has radically
changed the way people interact and communicate (Mcfarland & Ployhart, 2015).
Digital generation makes social media as a media that can connect interactions between
them that make this generation can even always be exposed to friends, family and the surrounding
environment so that they want to continue to connect and know the activities carried out by others.
This desire focuses on activities carried out by others but can ignore their own activities that can
cause anxiety to lead to the fear of missing, the news, or moments experienced by others. This fear is
called fear of missing out. Przybylski (2013), a strong desire to always be connected to what is being
done by others through cyberspace so that someone always wants to check his social media accounts
to see the activities carried out by others so that they are willing to ignore their own activities.
JWT Intelligence Communication Institute (2012) conducted a survey that the younger
generation aged 18-33 years was the age group that most claimed to experience fear of missing out
as much as 72% compared to other generations. Followed by the age group of adolescents 13-17
years as much as 56% in which male sex more easily experience the FoMO. In this productive age,
the digital generation that is identified with fear of missing out should be able to make the most of
life and develop their full potential, but instead experience a concern that is difficult to control by
themselves.
This condition is described by Przybylski (2013) as a state of self-fulfillment of autonomy. Lack
of experience to feel choices, support and willingness related to actions or behaviors. Individuals are
difficult to be free to unite actions carried out with themselves without being bound or gain control
from others (as the initiator and source of their actions). Control is difficult to obtain because it has
been handed over to external parties, in this case the desire to stay connected and know the activities
of others so that fear of losing the moment is related to the self-regulation of the individual itself.
Research conducted by (Sianipar & Kaloeti, 2019) confirms that the higher the self regulation,
the lower the level of fear of missing out and vice versa the lower the self regulation, the higher the
condition of fear of missing out experienced by the digital native. Disturbed feelings and low self-
regulation have a positive influence on dependency on social media (Wang, Lee & Hua, 2015).
Digital native that is always exposed to social media requires an effort that can regulate (control)
their behavior in order to minimize the condition of fear of losing that moment. Life with strong
information flow results in digital natives requiring the ability to formulate strategies to deal with
and avoid things that can disrupt or hinder daily activities (Sianipar & Kaloeti, 2019). Digital
natives that have been identified as experiencing fear of missing out require an effort or method
that can make them aware, able to control themselves and utilize this growing communication
technology as well as possible with a productive and more extensive development of its potential.
Zwingmann, Muller, Korber, and Murken (2008) describe that a problem that is solved through
religion or that religiosity can influence the idea of broad
psychosocial adjustment. Digital native
who requires adjustments to the state of fear of missing out can be minimized and controlled by
themselves as wisely as possible.
Muhasabah is known as a problem solving in the Islamic religion that can provide awareness of
awareness of individuals through introspection and understanding of oneself to be able to regulate
and control themselves in the hope of becoming better. As Allah SWT said in the holy Qur’an of
Surah Al-Ra’du which means to explain that:
“For him (humans) there are angels who always take care of him in turns, in front of and behind
him. They guard it by God’s command. Surely Allah will not change the state of a people before they
change the state of themselves. And if Allah wants evil against a people, then no one can reject it and
there is no protector for them except Him “(QS. Al-Ra’du: 11).
In the surah explains that humans are given God the ability to control, regulate, and control
themselves as a form of worship towards their Lord. Muhasabah as a reminder and form of self-
reflection that God will not change the condition of an individual if the individual does not change
his own condition. Digital native identified by the fear of missing out is clearly able to think about
it so that he can reflect, remember, introspect himself so that he can improve his quality of life even
better than before. Saifuddin (2011), contemplating in muhasabah is an attempt to make a change
as a form of self-introspection of something that has been done in his life, so that someone is able
to make a maximum improvement and improvement. According to Ibn Qayyim, muhasabah also
has tremendous influence and benefits including knowing one’s own disgrace, being critical of
him in carrying out Allah’s right, existence of muraqabah (helping to be closer to God), improving
relations between humans, far from being hypocritical and getting closer to bowing to Allah SWT
(Ahmad, 2018).
When humans have a closer relationship with God and can improve their fellow human
relationships even though they do not have to always be exposed online with others but prioritize
silaturrahim values, they can achieve a motivation in the form of high psychological satisfaction
with competence, autonomy and relatedness which can be stated to have a low level on FoMO
itself so that its fear or anxiety can be controlled slowly. As explained by Przybylski (2013) that the
more the tendency of low psychological needs to satisfy the higher level (FoMO). The following
exercises can be applied to familiarize the attitude of behavior described by Justin Parrot “How to
be a Mindful Muslim: an Exercise in Islamic Meditation”, as follows (Ahmad, 2018):
1. Choose the right time according to the state of each person to be able to do muhasabah. The
scholars suggest the right time for bermuhasabah is at night.
2. Choose the most comfortable body position, then start to exhale slowly and feel the energy
given by Allah SWT. on the body.
3. After feeling comfort, feel the closeness to Allah (muraqabah). Recognize and feel the existence
of God all the time that always sees us.
4. Increase the remembrance to remember Allah SWT. as taught by the Prophet Muhammad.
(asking for forgiveness, giving thanks for everything in life, remembering and introspecting a
lot of mistakes, determined to change for the better, focusing on priority things and having
confidence in being able to control behavior to minimize things that tend to be in vain
including always wanting to know the experiences or moments that other people have if they
are not needed).
CONCLUSION
The internet has become a part of life for digital native. The generation that always uses the
internet and communication technology as a medium of self-disclosure. Increased sophisticated
communication technology becomes a means of connectedness for this generation to always use
the internet as a place to socialize with social media. However, the high level of use of social media
for digital native makes this generation exposed and always wants to know the news or experience
experienced by others to emerge anxiety and fear if you can not follow the moment. This condition
can be said to be a fear of missing out.
FoMO causes the lack of self-control for individuals over themselves. Muhasabah is an
Islamic way or effort that is able to help digital natives to be able to introspect and control
themselves to be more so as to minimize behaviors that are considered futile including the desire
to always want to know the state of people to neglect personal life in order to focus and be
productive in life by self.
SUGGESTION
There are some suggestions for both digital native and further researchers. For digital native,
it is suggested that they should use social media wisely and pay more attention on their life goals.
They should not be easily influenced by the lives of others. For further researchers, it is suggested
to explore the effectiveness of muhasabah as a regulative effort for digital native identified with the
fear of missing out.
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