Shiny object syndrome is the situation where people focus undue attention on an idea that is new and
trendy, yet drop this as soon as something new takes its place.
Usage
Shiny object syndrome (SOS)
is a
pop-cultural, psychological concept where people focus on a new and fashionable idea, regardless of how valuable or helpful it may ultimately be. While at the moment it seems to be something worth focusing one's attention upon, it is ultimately a
distraction
Distraction is the process of diverting the attention of an individual or group from a desired area of focus and thereby blocking or diminishing the reception of desired information. Distraction is caused by: the lack of ability to pay attention ...
,
either a personal distraction or something that is done intentionally to distract others. People who face a
fear of missing out
Fear of missing out (FOMO) is the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know or missing out on information, events, experiences, or life decisions that could make one's life better. FOMO is also associated with a fear of regret, ...
are especially susceptible, as the distraction of shiny objects in themselves clouds judgment and focus.
The term shiny object syndrome is often used when people mistake something small and focused and fixate on it to the extent that they lose the big picture. This is used within management literature, popular
psychological
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between t ...
literature, and across the social and computer sciences.
See also
*
Appeal to novelty
The appeal to novelty (also called appeal to modernity or ''argumentum ad novitatem'') is a fallacy in which one prematurely claims that an idea or proposal is correct or superior, ''exclusively'' because it is new and modern. In a controversy b ...
References
{{Psych-stub
Popular psychology