GOMBAK, Aug 28 — The younger generation, particularly students, need to stay grounded in reality and not let fear of missing out (FOMO), trends, or social media content dictate their life choices and futures.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the rapid development of social media has not only changed the way people communicate, but could also influence their focus, thinking, and judgement when making decisions.
“How do you become a champion or someone who can resist the FYP, resist what is known as trends, and not get lost in FOMO?
“Other people do this, so they feel they have to do the same thing. If they do not, they feel that something is wrong.
"Do we ever think about what FOMO is? Who sets the trend, who is behind the trend, and what impact does the trend have?” he said.
Amirudin was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Gombak Pre-University Form Six College and the 2025 Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) Academic Excellence Awards today.
He added that awareness of these issues is particularly important for Form Six students about to enter university, who are increasingly expected to make their own choices and set their own direction in life.
Amirudin also reminded students that reliance on fast-paced digital content could affect a person’s ability to concentrate and assess matters in depth.
“Because now on social media, what is considered the truth is sometimes whatever gets the most attention, is the loudest and is repeated the most.
“Sometimes the correct facts are drowned out by whatever is most prevalent, most prominent, and most repeated,” he said.
Such situations could lead people to accept something based on its popularity or repetition on social media without first assessing whether the facts were accurate.
Therefore, the younger generation must pay attention to reality, understand the actual problems, and seek solutions before determining their own direction in life.
“Return to reality, and we will be able to determine our own direction, rather than having others determine it based on trends, FYP, FOMO, or our fear of not following trends.
“Imagine when it comes to choosing a career, choosing friends, or choosing anything else. There are many things in life where we have to make choices,” Amirudin said.
The Menteri Besar noted that maturity in decision-making becomes increasingly important as a person grows older, as reliance on parents and teachers decreases, particularly after entering university.
“The more you grow into adulthood, the more you should be capable of making your own decisions, and that maturity is what will be tested or determine the outcome,” he said.
During the event, 39 students were recognised for their outstanding achievements in the 2025 STPM examination.
Amirudin also launched the Selangor Pre-University Gathering (HIPSTER) as a support platform to help Form Six students prepare for university.
The initiative is among the state government’s efforts to strengthen pre-university education in Selangor, while providing support such as book vouchers, data facilities, and higher education preparation programmes.
