Are You Really 'Online' Anymore? 5 Signals You're Losing True Connection

I used to think winning at life meant hitting the right bet—like betting on luck in a neon-lit casino where every hand was a ritual. Now, I see it differently.

The algorithm doesn’t care if you’re happy. It only cares if you’re engaged. Your likes aren’t love—they’re metrics. Your DMs aren’t conversations—they’re engagement loops.

I grew up in Brooklyn, where my Jamaican mother taught me that silence could be sacred, and my German father showed me how code could lie. We danced to jazz in the streets, but now we dance to data streams—each ping a hollow echo.

I track my own ‘庄闲’ patterns: three consecutive posts without reply? That’s not a trend—it’s abandonment. Five percent water fee on engagement? That’s not tax—it’s extraction.

You think you’re part of a community? No. You’re part of a feed.

Last week I saw someone post their entire therapy session as a carousel: six images of smiling faces with no captions beneath. They didn’t want connection—they wanted validation.

I stopped playing.

Now I design experiences that ask: When was the last time you felt truly ‘seen’? Not liked. Not shared. But seen.

Leave your answer below.