‘Pretty overwhelming’: Outback youth struggle with FOMO as city folks post on social media

Life for children and children on outback stations customarily stricken by drought is already hard, but social media has made it worse for some.

They customarily struggle with FOMO — concern of lacking out.

On the dusty and dry North Neatly station in South Australia’s a ways north, 19-year-dilapidated station hand Jacqui Couzner musters cattle.

For the duration of the day, she tests her phone for updates on social media platforms collectively with Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter.

Most of her traffic are living in Adelaide, a whopping seven-hour power away.

“They potentially crawl out great more than I potentially would, so they’re out at pubs and taking photos about their staunch nights,” Ms Couzner said.

“Being up here, you in all likelihood pass over out on a mode of those things that they gain to attain and catching up in basic.

Ms Couzner said seeing her traffic catching up and doing things she can’t is very keeping apart.

“It’s good to well additionally withhold in contact with folks you have not considered for ages or won’t see, but then it additionally is bombarding you with all these posts with what folks are doing and what you’re lacking out on.”

Lack of a ways away connections

That feeling of isolation was additionally compounded by COVID-19 restrictions and the indisputable fact that the closest young person is continuously up to now away.

“There are a pair of [young people], but nonetheless, the neighbouring station is more than a pair of hundred kilometres away and in addition additionally, you will’t without a doubt opt up with them anyway if they are here,” Ms Couzner said.

She did not know of any social media teams for plenty away youth in her region.

“Honest having a platform that everyone can gain admission to, talk and talk with every other and organise events could be staunch.

“It could perhaps be a less annoying region to unwind and meet folks and simply produce other folks within the the same create of situation and in addition you will cling something as a scheme to talk about.”

Far away FOMO a frequent dispute

To assist kids in a ways away South Australian communities with their mental well being, headspace at Port Augusta has teamed with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).

Port Augusta headspace social employee Jack Pointon boards an RFDS airplane and flies all around the sizzling rural panorama of SA every fortnight to assist kids with their mental well being and figuring out of social media.

He said a dispute that stood out in quite a lot of of the a ways away communities he visited was how kids customarily when compared their lives to what folks within the city posted on social media.

“They crawl to highschool, they crawl dwelling after which they soar on assorted sorts of social media apps they occasionally see folks from the city at the seashore or at the flicks,” Mr Pointon said.

“They gain a mode of concern of lacking out.

“We attain a mode of social media presentations with the young kids in assorted settings and these presentations revolve spherical plenty spherical what the e-safety commission releases.”

Even though Ms Couzner has no longer veteran the headspace carrier equipped at her local sanatorium, but said it was staunch to grasp it be there.

“Now we were told we can gain admission to it via the RFDS every time we favor it and every time they cling got it,” she said.