Closer than ever but miles apart

Not too long ago, doing anything social meant leaving your house to get it done. You have to always step out to meet friends, attend events, network, or even fall in love. But right now almost everything now happens online. You can presently date online with apps like Tinder from your comfort zone. You can even build a career through Zoom calls and LinkedIn by freelancing and playing games with people you might never even meet in real life.

While this feels convenient, it raises a more in-depth question: what does it say about a world that keeps pushing people indoors and away from physical interaction?.
Looking at it the other way, the shift is that online has made life a lot easier. Distance no longer limits connections again. You know someone can be in Port Harcourt and work with people outside the country; we can even attend international conferences or make friends across all continents.

For people with tight schedules and those seeking safety and comfort, online spaces feel like freedom. Because it saves time, reduces stress, and opens doors that were once locked by location or money. As much as it appears as a convenience, it doesn't always equal fulfillment. We humans are wired for real connection and interaction. Nothing can beat warm laughter with friends, hugs when you are down, or the energy of sitting beside someone silently looking at the sky and enjoying good music. But most online interaction often misses emotional depth; it's actually easy to pretend, disappear, or disconnect without any accountability.

Currently, now with online relationships feeling shallow with no genuine bonds, it becomes harder to build a relationship. That's why there is a rise in loneliness and depressed people. Ironically, people are even more connected these days than ever, yet many still feel isolated. I had a story of a popular blogger called lazy writer who committed suicide upon all the friends he might have made online; people will expect him to be happy, but he was suffering depression while appearing online as a happy person. His friends wept because the never know that their friend was passing through a phase that would take his life.

Staying indoors all the time, even while chatting or gaming online, can leave people feeling empty. Social media and virtual interactions sometimes create the illusion of belonging without the reality of it. You’re “connected,” but still feels alone. Technology has never been the enemy, but it's human beings refusing to find balance. The rate of imbalance is what is making it look like we are heading to doom, but no. I love working remotely because I am an introvert and am only comfortable in my space, not crowded places. But working with people from different ethnic groups has actually taught me things that working online can't.

I get to learn different personalities of humans and how to handle them. But when I was working online, although it was peaceful, there was less noise and less distraction! But the loneliness is so real that at times I have to ask my friends if we can hang out, most times they are busy or have company events to attend. I am saying that if we allow screens to take over completely, something essential might get lost.

Images are Ai generated.

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