Always Online, Always Tired Sometimes it feels like being on social media is a 24 hour job I didn’t apply for. Between Snapchat streaks, group chats, and constantly refreshing Instagram, it’s like there’s never a break. If I don’t respond to a message fast enough, someone might get upset. If I miss a trend, I feel left out. If I log off for a while, people act like I disappeared. It’s like my generation is tethered to our phones, and there’s this unspoken rule that we have to always be available or risk being exiled. Social media was supposed to connect us, but a lot of the time it just creates pressure. You’re expected to answer messages quickly, comment on your friends’ posts, watch every story, and keep up with group chats that never stop. Even when I want to take a break, I worry about missing something important or being forgotten. That kind of constant connection might sound fun, but it can also be exhausting and stressful. It affects how I sleep, how I focus in class, and how I feel about myself. Being so tied to technology can damage mental health and self-esteem. If you don’t respond fast enough, people might think you’re ignoring them. If you’re not active enough, they might leave you out. That fear of missing out or being left behind makes it really hard to unplug. Over time, this constant pressure can lead to anxiety, loneliness, and burnout, even when you’re surrounded by people online. I've experienced this personally and dealt with a great deal of anxiety that impacted my ability to socialize in person. But I'm one of the lucky ones because I sought therapy and learned methods to cope and overcome the anxiety and fear. But not everyone is so lucky. To help with this, I think we need to create better boundaries between our real lives and our digital lives. Schools should teach students how to manage their time online and recognize when it’s becoming harmful. We also need to change the culture around response times and stop expecting instant replies all the time. Apps could help by letting users set quiet hours or status updates that show when someone isn’t available. Most of all, we need to remind ourselves that it's okay to step away and take care of our mental health. Social media isn’t going away, but we can learn to use it in a way that doesn’t control our lives. If we speak up about how we’re feeling and support each other offline as well as online and share our experiences, we can make a difference. No one should feel like being connected means being trapped.