JOMO

The Joy of Missing Out ??

The Joy Of Missing Out.

The BBC have suggested that JOMO may be one of the trends of 2026.
Something that many people have already been edging towards -

A quiet, unannounced pushback against constant connectivity, endless updates, and the assumption that being seen on social media
is the same thing as progress…

For professionals in audio, JOMO has a practical as much as philosophical appeal.
Our work depends on focus, deep listening, and long stretches of uninterrupted thinking.
You do not find nuance while scrolling, and you rarely do your best creative work when half your attention is elsewhere.

Are you getting a quiet hint of irony here?
For some people, the thing they may miss out on in 2026 is JOMO itself.
The chance to step back and recognize that we already have more than enough, knowledge, tools, and opportunity to do meaningful work.

Maybe it’s time for the industry as a whole to spend less energy chasing what it does not have, and a little more time appreciating
what it already does. We now have extraordinary tools, powerful computers, and access to sounds and instruments that would have seemed crazy not that long ago. Many of us are producing the best work of our careers with setups that already exceed what we actually need.

JOMO is not about disengaging or opting out.
It is about choosing.
Choosing where your attention goes, and just as importantly, where it does not.

Choosing depth over noise, and intention over habit.

Maybe before rushing into binge-scrolling, the next upgrade, event, or announcement cycle, it can be worth pausing and taking inventory. Look honestly at what you are focused on, what you already own, and what you actually use.

They say the power in the average smart phone is more than the computer that got man on the moon, and we can say the same about the average DAW set-up - it’s far more than the Beatles had!

Excerpted from  “Are You Going To Try JOMO In 2026? It May Improve Your Creative Output”
By  Russ Hughes on Production Expert’s blog: https://www.production-expert.com.