Cover of the textbook Identity B1+

The key answer of exercise 2

The key to exercise solutions in chapter Trending Topics 8 for the textbook Identity B1+ with authors Elizabeth Sharman from Oxford University Press

Question

Find out the meanings of:

  1. FOMO
  2. 'curating' your life
  3. IRL

Answer

  1. FOMO: It stands for "Fear of Missing Out". It refers to the feeling of anxiety or apprehension that one might experience when they believe others are having rewarding experiences from which they are absent. It often occurs in the context of social events, activities, or trends, especially those shared on social media.
  2. 'curating' your life: In this context, "curating" refers to the act of carefully selecting, arranging, and presenting aspects of your life, particularly on social media platforms, to create a certain image or narrative about yourself. It involves deliberately choosing what to share and how to present it to others, often with the intention of portraying a desirable or idealized version of one's life.
  3. IRL: It is an acronym for "In Real Life". It is used to distinguish between experiences, interactions, or events that occur offline, in the physical world, as opposed to those that happen in virtual or online environments, such as social media or video games.