Here on day 5 million of the pandemic, some of us are getting a little antsy. Thanks to the internet, though, there are cute names for all the new kinds of anxiety that the pandemic has spawned. Judging by the number of memes they’ve inspired, FOGO (Fear of Going Out) and FONO (Fear of Normal), are pandemics in and of themselves. These acronyms may seem a bit playful to have any clinical validity, but many psychologists think that’s exactly why they can be a helpful way to understand our complicated emotional states.
If, for example, you’re nervous about going out and being around big groups of people right now, you could have FOGO. And if FOGO feels really extreme, it’s possible you have Cave Syndrome, which sounds decidedly less adorable. But maybe you’re not really scared to leave the house, you just don’t want to have to go back to the office. In that case, maybe you just have a little FONO? This feels like the Cosmo quiz you never wanted to take.
