"Having Fun" Has Been Replaced for "Being There"

[DISCLAIMER]

During the peak of my time as an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ in 2000, Italian producer Spiller released the song “Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)” which featured vocalist Sophie Ellis-Bextor. I recall the track being a massive success among the people of Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to have heard the song featured in a video posted on the “TikTokCringe” subreddit under the title “Ibiza 2006 Vs Clubs Now, They Don’t Know What they Missed ! [sic]” Regarding EDM, some consider Ibiza as the “party capital of the world.”

In the subreddit video, an individual contrasts the difference in EDM partygoers from 2006 to the present. The 2006 party crowd features glimpses of what I recall from clubs, raves, and other EDM venues in South America from 1999-2000, as I presume it was the same case elsewhere.

The spaces were open enough for people to move freely and dance. Within my blog, I’ve commented on the many nights I once spent dancing to the point at which I needed to wring sweat out of my clothes after returning from various EDM venues. It was a wonderful time!

In the subreddit video, the present-day crowd is seen in a front-facing posture toward the DJ while I can’t detect any dancing whatsoever. What fun is there in not dancing at an EDM event? I partied sober, and still I had an amazing time dancing until I could barely stand by daybreak.

Rather than dancing, some people in the video appear to be jumping up and down while many individuals, tightly packed into the venue, appear to be capturing the moment on their cellphones. This is a trend I’ve noticed in relation to other current EDM videos posted elsewhere.

What I consider to be a humorous comment, person X on the subreddit replied to the video, “Having fun’ has been replaced for ‘being there.” This is something that may be a generational issue, as I can’t relate to the desire to simply capture an event for posterity rather than dancing.

Replying to person X’s comment, person Y responded, “Yep. And you can’t focus on dancing and a good time when you are trying to ensure you get the best shots for socials, never sweat, and having a social media approved outfit. The party really died with the social media.”

When contemplating this matter through the reference point of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I’m neither distressed nor disturbed by my beliefs about the matter. If the video in question accurately represents the present-day EDM crowd, then so be it.

I don’t find it annoying, frustrating, or disappointing that people seemingly don’t let loose, dance, and enjoy EDM music in a similar fashion as I once did. Besides, I still enjoy the music genre, though you aren’t likely to find me dancing to it these days (or to any music, actually).

Therefore, I merely laugh at what people have to say about fun being replaced by merely being present at a venue. Moreover, I remain grateful for having been able to fully enjoy the EDM scene at arguably what was its heyday era. If that wasn’t love, then why did it feel so good?

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As the world’s foremost EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters. 

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit, fair use

References:

Defected Records. (2021, June 4). Spiller - Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) [feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor] (Official music video) [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/FI3gn4APNXc?si=sWgE1yuq0sulq5Yp

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InGreeekiTrust. (2025, April 6). Ibiza 2006 Vs Clubs Now, They Don’t Know What they Missed! Reddit. Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/TikTokCringe/comments/1jsunwr/ibiza_2006_vs_clubs_now_they_dont_know_what_they/

Levy, D. (2022, June 15). Crash course: The history of Ibiza, the party capital of the world. EDM Maniac. Retrieved from https://edmmaniac.com/history-ibiza/

Scuba_sounds (@scuba_sounds). (n.d.). Scuba_sounds [Official profile]. TikTok. Retrieved from https://www.tiktok.com/@scuba_sounds?lang=en

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) [Image]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groovejet_(If_This_Ain%27t_Love)

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Ibiza. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibiza

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Ellis-Bextor

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Spiller. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiller