JOMO

or jo·mo

[ joh-moh ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a feeling of contentment with one’s own pursuits and activities, without worrying over the possibility of missing out on what others may be doing:

   You can’t feel the good vibes of JOMO until you stop obsessing over everyone else’s Facebook postings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of JOMO¹

First recorded in 2000–05; j(oy) o(f) m(issing) o(ut)

Example Sentences

Under the airport proposal, the upgrades would involve a new runway and an improved passenger terminal at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

From BBC

It is no surprise that three of the five presidents since independence – Jomo Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta – came from the region.

From BBC

“Don’t kill me the way your father killed JM Kariuki,” he said at a rally in July 2022, referring to an MP who was killed in 1975 during the administration of Jomo Kenyatta, the nation's first president and the father of Uhuru Kenyatta.

From BBC

When Jomo’s group takes a foreigner hostage, Alex leads a rescue mission that brings him right into Jomo’s path.

From New York Times

Jomo asks his comrade at one point in the film.

From New York Times

More About JOMO

What else does jomo mean?

JOMO is an acronym for joy of missing out and describes the pleasure of taking a break from social activity–especially social media–to enjoy personal time.

Where does jomo come from?

JOMO is the answer to the acronym, FOMO, popularized in 2004. FOMO stands for fear of missing out, and it describes the anxiety a person feels when they believe something exciting is happening and they are not part of it. FOMO is most often used in reference to fun or notable activities people see posted on social media.

FOMO‘s opposite, JOMO, was coined by Anil Dash, a blogger and CEO of software company, Glitch. Dash explained his FOMO inversion in a 2012 blog post called “JOMO!” He describes the joyous feeling of deciding to skip an event in order to enjoy a quiet night or to spend time with family. He came to the JOMO revelation after a hiatus from—you guessed it—social media.

How is jomo used in real life?

Into the 2010s, FOMO and JOMO have been contrasted in self-help articles and discussions of over-reliance on and addiction to social media.

JOMO's the way forward😊 important to be content to stay in & embrace some me-time,focussing on things you know bring you piece,& joy. Doesn't' matter whether it's watching a film,meditating, baking a cake,whatever allows you to disconnect & nurture yourself.#SaturdayMotivation pic.twitter.com/tkBBmpbehf

— BEHIND THE WOMAN MIDLIFE HEALTH & WELLBEING (@behindthewoman1) November 17, 2018

Ironically enough, JOMO is often presented on social media as an antidote to FOMO, especially by those who are experiencing social media burnout.

I need to replace my FOMO with some JOMO

— Stephen Chanasyk (@deepthinking) October 20, 2018

More examples of jomo:

“Like it or not, we need our technology devices; we just don’t need them as much as we think we do. JOMO is about finding that balance.”
—Hayley Phelan, The New York Times, July 2018

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.