FOMO | Physical simulation of collective behavior

Feeling FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out, is not uncommon at this digital age. This anxiety manifests itself in an obsessive attempt to stay connected, continuously fearing of missing out social, romantic, professional or other opportunities. This hyper-connectivity, however, further fuels feelings of isolation. The work FOMO expresses the human need for intimacy and social connection, the difficulty of being present in the moment, and the human attempt to avoid loneliness.

A cluster of robotic agents is positioned at the center of the gallery. Each autonomous individual reacts to its neighbors’ actions; when active, the individual agent tilts from side to side, broadcasting its state to other members of the cluster. If other individual senses the nearby commotion, it is likely to join, fearing of missing out an exceptional experience. Yet, shortly after joining, it loses interest and continues to look for other even more phenomenal occurrences that may happen nearby. At this physical simulation, each member of the group forever tries to minimize its FOMO.