Do you remember hanging out with friends in middle school? The loud, breathless laughter echoing through parks and beautiful sunset walks? In high school, most of that now happens through screens, whether it’s FaceTime calls or doomscrolling on TikTok.
The social media platforms on our phones make it easy to connect, but online connections don’t always feel as important. A comment on your friend’s story isn’t the same as a real conversation where you can feel more present and happy. Friendships feel different when they’re made through a phone screen instead of in person.
Many teens care more about recording or taking pictures for Instagram than actually caring about the fun in itself. Instead of spending time with friends and having fun, everyone’s thinking about how it’ll look online. Rather than going to an arcade, many would rather stay home and learn how to do a dance and post it in a cute outfit so that they can get likes.
It’s easy to forget how relieving it feels to laugh with friends without worrying about who’s watching. Real fun doesn’t need a phone or a trending audio; it just needs people being present with each other.
The point of technology was supposed to be bringing people closer, but sometimes it does the exact opposite. Hours can disappear while browsing platforms like Pinterest, leaving little time for spontaneous hangouts. What was once used for small contact or fun has evolved into digital entertainment.
Friendships that are made today often are created through Wi-Fi instead of shared experiences in real life. Online connection can be fun, but it’s missing the excitement of being with your friend in person. The best memories aren’t made through screens; they’re made side by side.
Social media can be perfectly fine, just in smaller amounts. If you had a long day and you ran out of energy, lying on your bed and texting can be fine, as long as you don’t do it all the time. Make sure to make time for those friends in person and outside of school.
We should revise our thinking of what hanging out really means. Friendship should be more than likes and comments; it should be about laughter, stories, and memories that don’t need to be posted for validation.
