#04. Back to Finding Nemo!

Keeping up with Gen Z vocabulary, I asked my students, "Do you all know what FOFO is?" There were mixed reactions. Some knew, some didn't. Then one student innocently smiled and answered, "Ma'am, I only know Finding Nemo." I smiled back. That answer made me happier than any trendy acronym could.

There's a theory in economics called conspicuous consumption. It's fascinating because economics isn't just about money—it's about human desires and behaviour. This theory explores how we try to keep up with society, always finding more, consuming more, measuring ourselves against others. It started with FOMO—the Fear of Missing Out. Social media turned this into an epidemic. Millennials and Gen Z scrolled endlessly, chasing something they couldn't quite name. What were they finding? Why were they searching? For whom? The answers remained a mystery—even to them.

I watched a generation transform, living life in selfie mode. They found more but couldn't sustain it. Eventually, FOMO evolved into something darker: FOFO—the Fear of Finding Out. Why the shift to fear? Because the unknown triggers anxiety. Research shows our heartbeat spikes when we're about to discover something that might disappoint us or confirm our worst fears about ourselves. The endless scroll became exhausting. Discovery became dangerous.

Then came that student's answer: "Ma'am, I only know Finding Nemo." A gush of fresh air. In the film, young Nemo—a clownfish with one small fin—gets captured by divers. His adventure unfolds the hidden strength in that little fin his father lovingly called his "lucky fin." Both father and son discover themselves through their parallel journeys. Our little Nemo, caught between FOMO and FOFO, finally reunites with his true self—a self far more capable than he ever imagined.

We've all begun our own journey with our "little fins"—those parts of ourselves we think make us inadequate. The pressure to find more, know more, and be more has left us exhausted. But what if, like that student, we simply knew one thing deeply? What if we stopped performing and started being? From FOMO to FOFO to Posting Zero—not posting nothing, but choosing peace over performance. We're all on our own journey of finding our little Nemo. Not the endless discovery that social media demands, but the quiet discovery of who we truly are. Complete with our lucky fins. Perfectly capable. Wonderfully enough.

Sometimes the most profound answer is the simplest one: I just know Finding Nemo.

(Pic.) Are you willing to find your little Nemo? :)