I am feeling very tired of social situations, both online and offline. People sending me things I don’t really care about drains my so-called “social battery,” and in the end, I just feel exhausted. As for my friends, I don’t really care about the mundane aspects of their lives — I don’t care if they went to a café or swimming. I’d like to talk to them about their day, their weekend, their holiday, etc., but in person. I don’t want to see their photos on social media, like them, and forget about them a moment later. I like sending funny videos to my friends, and I enjoy watching the ones they send me too. It’s fun but things have gotten a bit out of control. One of my friends keeps sending me reels nonstop, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Like… dude, is your time really that worthless? Do you not have anything else to do? I don’t mind sharing a laugh now and then, but there’s a limit. It’s starting to feel less like a joke and more like noise.

I used to think pseudonymous social media would be different — that hiding behind a name no one knows would let people express themselves freely and honestly. But that’s not what I’ve seen. Instead, it’s filled with people posting half-baked thoughts that echo the same opinions as everyone else in that tiny circle. It feels like everyone’s performing for each other, chasing validation instead of truth. They trade away their authenticity for the sake of fake internet points.

Of course, like many things in life, this is a choice too. I may choose to stay in that god forsaken social media swamp to get easier dopamine or I may choose to leave social media for good, and start using my time in a more meaningful way.