POMO NOT FOMO
NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC
It may be that FOMO - the Fear of Missing Out - has run its course, as a new survey identifies the new phenomenon of POMO ... the PLEASURE Of Missing Out.
The average American attends four social gatherings a month but almost 80 percent admit to having made excuses to avoid going out, with one in ten "often" dropping out.
Tiredness, not wanting to be around people, or having to spend money were the top three reasons behind the no-shows, according to a survey of 2,000 US adults by home food delivery service Yelp Eat24.
But far from moping around wishing we'd gone out anyway, it seems Americans are quite happy with their in-home entertainment - with many saying they'd even prefer to do CHORES than go out.
The top 10 things Americans enjoy after bailing on a night out:
1. Watch movie/TV
2. Chill out/nap
3. Eat in
4. Spend time with partner
5. Spend time with children
6. Read
7. Listen to music
8. Chores
9. Have drinks
10. Play video games
Yelp Eat24 CEO Mike Ghaffary said: "To be honest, we weren't all that surprised by the survey results. Our delivery orders have increased 50 per cent year over year, and almost every week is a record week for us in terms of total order count.
"That's quite a bit of POMO. People are busy, so it makes sense they want to stay at home, relax, and enjoy a pants-free evening."
Although happiness and relaxation are two of the states most associated with going out friends, there is definitely a downside.
Over a third have experienced anxiety and stress, almost 30 percent feel disappointed, and one in ten admit to feeling shame, embarrassment, anger or jealousy as a result of the evening out.
Women are more likely than men to feel anxious (39 per cent compared to 29 per cent) but are also likelier to feel relaxed (51 per cent compared to 46 per cent).
Men are more likely to get into an argument (16 per cent compared to 11 per cent) and suffer from a hangover the following day (25 per cent/22 per cent).
The savings to be made by staying in are considerable - the average annual spend on going out to social events is $2,064 for men and $1,464.
Mike Ghaffary added: "Going out not only means you have to make a reservation, find a babysitter, and get dressed up, it also means you have to deal with things like weather and people.
"No one wants to deal with that, and if you stay home you don't have to."
"It seems that restaurant owners are embracing the POMO revolution, as more and more are signing up for our platform every day. We've gone from 20,000 to over 30,000 restaurant partners in one year."
"We expect to see this POMO trend continue. Because really, why would you go out when you could spend some quality time with your couch?"
ENDS
