Does social media actually make us more connected, or just more aware of how disconnected we feel? I deleted Instagram for a month last year and noticed my anxiety dropped noticeably, but I also lost touch with some acquaintances I only interacted with through comments and DMs. The research on loneliness and screen time is mixed—some studies show passive scrolling correlates with worse mood, while active engagement with close friends seems to help. Are we using these platforms as tools, or are they using us?