You could leave. That option exists.
Instead, you don’t disappear completely.
But you don’t let others see what you had for lunch at 13:32 on Tuesday.
Watched, we watch the watchers.
Lives of others,
between one meme and the next, but without emotional investment.
Because who in their right mind could track hundreds of parallel existences?
Someone on vacation. Someone eating breakfast. Someone changed their haircut.
And then, despite the logic,
despite the absurdity of it all..
WE POST.
Why?
Adaptation? A coping mechanism?
Because deep, authentic human connection takes time and no one, post-work, post-obligations, has time and energy to do anything anymore.
So we settled for a substitute.
Closeness without presence. Presence without engagement.
Not too negative, because no one wants to be a digital guilt trip.
Not too positive, because then it looks like you’re trying too hard to convince everyone (and yourself).
And yet,
we still add something.
Again and again.
Like hitting your elbow, feeling nothing,
and still saying – OUCH!!!