FOGO Is the New FOMO -- The Cut
I believe that I have developed the opposite of FOMO, in fact: I have a case of FOGO, or Fear of Going Out. Okay, well not literally a fear of going out. I still love a party. Always have and always will. But I have an active non-desire to attend the mass-Instagrammed events that clog up all my social-media feeds on several-week-long intervals throughout the year. And I am not the only one. Last year, around this time of year, Lena Dunham tweeted: "Whatever the opposite of FOMO is, that's what I have about Coachella." Someone I know recently tweeted: "Not going to SXSW is the new getting off Facebook."
Part of the problem is that all these things have become such things. South by Southwest, the last time I went in 2012, felt like one big “meet you by the Doritos stage near the Lacoste house after I stop by the Smart Water lounge.” It's concerts and panels wrapped in a networking event wrapped in a marketing blitzkrieg wrapped in a neon-pink VIP bracelet, with good tacos. Coachella, once simply a joyous, massive music festival in the desert, this year collaborated with H&M and SoulCycle on clothing lines. Tara Reid was there. #No-chella, which got a write-up in Wednesday’s New York Times, is the hashtag that refers to the invite-only big-brand-sponsored house parties that have infiltrated the festival. Apparently, the hottest Saturday-night party was at a mansion in Rancho Mirage and hosted by McDonald’s, Chevrolet, and Bootsy Bellows.