My two best friends from high school and I used to talk every day, but since we graduated college and scattered to different cities, our group chat has become this performative space where we all pretend we're staying close but none of us are sharing anything real anymore.
More people experience this than they realize.
Sometimes the tools meant to preserve closeness become barriers to it, leaving everyone performing a friendship that no longer exists.
“Where Are You with Emotional Labor in Love?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.