I don't know why I’m even writing this, it’s probably stupid, but it’s 2 AM and I can’t sleep, again, because my roommates are probably still awake, scrolling, you know? And I can hear the clicking of their keyboards from my bed, even with my headphones on. It’s just this low thrum, like a bunch of crickets, but it’s artificial and it's driving me absolutely insane. Sometimes I wonder if they're even real people. No, that’s too dramatic. They're real. But are they *really* real, if you know what I mean? Like, do they even have faces anymore? Okay, that’s probably the sleep deprivation talking. But seriously, it’s like living in some kind of weird social experiment, except no one told me I was the subject. We live in this dorm, right? Shared kitchen, shared bathroom, four bedrooms off a main living area. Standard university setup. And when I first moved in, I was actually… excited, I guess. Thought it would be like, you know, the movies. Late-night talks, maybe some shared meals, that kind of thing. I mean, I came from a pretty small town, everyone knowing everyone, and I was genuinely looking forward to the anonymity of a city, but also the camaraderie of dorm life. Is that weird? To want both? I don't know. But it’s not like that. At all. It started subtly, this… transformation, I guess. First, it was just the occasional meme shared in our group chat, which is fine, normal, whatever. Then it escalated. Someone would be sitting three feet away from me on the couch, literally on the same couch, and instead of saying something out loud, they’d send a meme to the group chat. Like, a reaction image to something I’d just said. To my face. Or what I thought was my face. I'd be telling a story, and then *ping* – a Spongebob meme pops up on my phone, sent by the guy across from me. It's so jarring. It’s like, are we even having a conversation? Or am I just… performing? The other day, I was making pasta, and one of them, Mark, was at the table, probably scrolling. I asked him if he wanted some, just a simple "Hey, want some pasta?" And he looked up, not at me, but at his phone, and *typed* "lol yeet" and sent it to the chat. *While looking at me.* I just stood there, holding the spoon, and then my phone buzzed. I actually checked it. And there it was. "lol yeet." I just… I don't even know what to do with that. Do I respond to the chat? Do I respond to him in person? Do I just… give him pasta? I ended up just giving him a bowl, without saying anything else. He just nodded and went back to his phone. It felt like I was serving a robot. And the silence, man, the silence is deafening. Except for the constant *ping, ping, ping* of notifications. We can all be in the common room, all four of us, and no one says a word. Not a single actual word. Just the soft glow of screens reflecting in their eyes, and the occasional muffled chuckle that sounds like it’s coming from another dimension. I try sometimes, you know? I’ll try to initiate a conversation, "How was your class today?" or "Did anyone watch that game last night?" And I’ll get maybe a mumbled "Fine" or a shrug, and then BAM – another meme in the chat, a completely unrelated reaction image, usually. It’s like they’re deflecting, but with pictures of surprised cats. I feel like a ghost in my own home. Or maybe they’re the ghosts and I’m just waiting for someone to notice I’m still alive. It’s getting to me, honestly. I thought moving away from my small town would be a chance to build new, real connections, but it feels like I’ve moved into a digital echo chamber. I miss actual banter. I miss laughing out loud with someone, not at a picture on a screen. Is that too much to ask for? Am I just… old-fashioned? I'm 23, for crying out loud. I'm not some boomer. The worst part is, I’m starting to do it too. I find myself drafting a text to the group chat when I want to ask if anyone needs something from the store, even when I can hear them in their rooms. It’s like I’m being conditioned. And then I delete it, because it feels wrong, hypocritical even, but the thought was there. The thought of engaging with them on their terms. It’s easier, I guess. Less vulnerable. But it also feels like I’m losing a piece of myself. Like I’m losing the ability to just… talk. And I hate it. I hate that this is how human interaction works now. Or how it works in my dorm, anyway. I just want someone to look me in the eye and say something, anything, that isn't a picture of a dog in a hat. Is that really so much to ask?