The exhaustion of always being on.

For the past 15 years, we’ve all been part of a vast social experiment—a collective dive into the world of social media. What started as a way to connect has grown into a daily ritual where we’re expected to share every facet of our lives: who we are, what we’re doing, where we’re going, who we’re with, what we’re achieving. All in the hopes of… what, exactly?

We’ve been absorbed, hustled, and influenced. We’ve been nudged to build personal brands, turning our online selves into polished avatars of our ‘best lives.’ Yet, for all the connecting and sharing, something isn’t adding up. The more we do, the more we’re expected to do. And for all the supposed connection, we’ve never felt more disconnected.

 

The Age of Performance

Social media didn’t set out to make us feel this way. Its promise was enticing: connection, creativity, and community. But somewhere along the way, the lines blurred. The platforms stopped being tools and became stages.

Each post, each story, each comment part of a performance. We’re not just living our lives—we’re documenting them, editing them, curating them. Our everyday moments are spliced and filtered into shareable content. It’s not enough to enjoy a sunset; we must photograph it, tag it, and watch the likes roll in.

But behind the perfect angles and catchy captions, there’s a quiet exhaustion. The constant performance is draining, turning what could be genuine experiences into obligations.

 

The Cost of Constant Connection

The irony of social media is that for all its promise of connection, many of us feel lonelier than ever. Studies have shown that heavy social media use is often linked to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and FOMO.

Why? Because endless scrolling invites comparison. It’s easy to see someone’s highlight reel and mistake it for reality. Their achievements, their relationships, their ‘perfect’ lives can make ours feel smaller by comparison. Even when we know better, the effect is hard to shake.

And then there’s the time. Hours disappear into the void of scrolling, liking, and sharing—hours that could have been spent on things that genuinely replenish us. Rest, creativity, real-life connections.

 

Why We’re Starting to Opt Out

It’s no wonder people are beginning to pull back. There’s a growing recognition that this always-on culture isn’t sustainable.

We’re starting to share less, scroll less, and care less about keeping up. Digital detoxes are becoming mainstream. Conversations about mental health are shedding light on the toll of hyper-connectivity. People are craving something quieter, something calmer, something more real.

This isn’t about rejecting social media entirely—it’s about finding balance. About reclaiming time, space, and energy for ourselves.

 

More Chill, Less Hustle

For a long time, social media was about showing the hustle: the busy schedules, the side projects, the wins. But there’s a shift. People are leaning into slower, softer moments. They’re choosing to share experiences that reflect rest, not just achievement.

This shift mirrors a broader cultural movement: a rejection of the pressure to always be productive. It’s about recognising that our worth isn’t tied to how much we do or how well we perform. It’s about valuing rest, recovery, and the quiet moments that aren’t for public consumption.

 

Reconnecting With Ourselves

When we stop performing, we start living. The moments that don’t make it to Instagram are often the ones that mean the most: a long conversation with a friend, a walk without a destination, a morning coffee with no rush to get anywhere.

By stepping back from the demands of social media, we give ourselves room to reconnect—not just with others, but with ourselves.

Alain de Botton once said,
"Our capacity to draw happiness from aesthetic objects or material goods seems critically dependent on our first satisfying a more important range of emotional or psychological needs, among them the need for understanding, for love, expression, and respect."

Social media can’t fully satisfy these needs. At best, it’s a tool. At worst, a distraction.

 

A New Kind of Connection

The good news is that this shift—away from performance and toward presence—isn’t just happening on an individual level. It’s becoming a cultural conversation. People are redefining what it means to connect, to share, to live.

It’s not about rejecting technology. It’s about using it in a way that serves us, not the other way around. It’s about knowing when to engage and when to step back.

And most of all, it’s about remembering that we don’t need to be the main character in a 24/7 reality show. Life is happening off-screen, in the quiet moments that don’t need to be shared to be real.

 

Unplugging to Recharge

The next time you feel the pull to share, consider pausing instead. Does this moment need to be posted, or is it enough to simply enjoy it?

The world will keep spinning if you take a step back. The notifications will wait. And in the space you create, you might just find something you’ve been missing: clarity, calm, and connection that doesn’t depend on likes or comments.

Because sometimes, the best thing you can do is nothing at all.