I've been on Facebook since 2009 and watched it morph from a fun way to reconnect with old classmates into something that feels engineered to keep me angry. Last month I counted: I scrolled past 14 posts that were either outrage-bait about politics or carefully curated lives that made me feel inadequate. I've tried quitting cold turkey twice and always crawl back because that's where my family shares photos. But here's the thing I keep wrestling with — is social media actually making us more connected, or are we just mistaking constant contact for genuine connection? I see my cousin's vacation pics instantly, but I haven't had a real phone conversation with her in three years. Maybe the fault is mine for using these platforms wrong, not the platforms themselves. I honestly can't decide if the good—staying in touch with distant relatives, finding niche communities—outweighs the toll it takes on my attention and mood. What do you think: is the trade-off worth it?