“Everyone wants to look like they’re always out — at concerts, cafes, trips — even when they’re not. I thought, what if we actually made that possible?” the 20-something owner of the Instagram handle, @flex for you tells me as we sit down to discuss a digital phenomenon that I have been living rent-free in my brain since January 2025. Flex For You is essentially a small business that has capitalised on the biggest zillennial emotion, FOMO (fear of missing out). They sell a single product — story tags. For as low as ₹89 (or 95 cents), you can get your personal Instagram handle tagged on vague-enough videos and photos that look like you are out — at an expensive cafe with a date, at a concert everyone is dying to attend, or with your family on an international vacation — even when you're rotting in your one-bedroom apartment, wondering how you'll afford next month’s rent. For context, Flex For You is just one of the hundreds of tag-for-hire businesses in India that popped up after Get Your Flex (another similar page) went viral for providing story tags from Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati India Tour, whose tickets retailed between ₹4999 and ₹60,000 (50x to 600x costlier than the tag, FYI). But this phenomenon is not limited to the subcontinent; clout-as-a-service businesses are popular in the US and China, too.ShareEverything Flex For You can help you with“People want to look active, social, and cool as it boosts presence and status online. Not everyone can attend every event or travel every weekend, but everyone wants that lifestyle vibe on their profile,” the founder of Flex For You (who would like to stay anonymous) tells me. “We just help them achieve that instantly and affordably.”Is it that simple? Are tag-for-hire services just a harmless trend that helps users look popular? Or are they weaponising young folks’ FOMO to make a quick buck while making social media even more of a hellscape? In this issue of girl online, we explore the evolution of fake flexing ser