Online me vs Offline me: The Tale of Two Lives

The other day, my friend sent me a post that hit me straight in the gut. It said, “We lived a freer life when phones had wires and humans didn’t.” And honestly? Facts.

It took me back to a time when taking a break meant actually resting like sipping chai with your legs up or staring at the sky doing absolutely nothing (Trust me this was not long ago). Not doom-scrolling, not chasing dopamine hits via reels of people doing things you planned to do two months ago. Just being.

Cut to now: my reality check happened just this week. I had a productive-ish morning, finished two tasks from my to-do list , and thought, “Let me take a short break.” Famous last words.

One scroll led to another. One meme led to a reel. One reel became a rabbit hole of “Wait, how did I end up watching a cat cook pasta?” And before I knew it, an hour had passed. I hadn’t moved an inch. But I was drained. Not the kind of tired where you need a nap, but the kind where your soul whispers, “Log out, Priya.”

Then my sister called.
“Why do you sound like you’ve walked ten kilometers in the sun?”
“I scrolled for an hour,” I whispered.
She laughed. I didn’t. Because it felt like I had just come back from a trek in the Sahara.

That’s when it hit me. We are living online. Our minds are running marathons while our bodies stay glued to a couch. Social media doesn’t just suck time, it’s out here draining battery, and serotonin, all in one go.

Scrolling feels like a break. It’s a dopamine carnival! One hilarious meme after another. For a hot minute, it takes the edge off your stress. But weirdly? By the end of it, I often feel more drained than before I started.

Let’s be honest: we’ve all sent a or to a message even when we were having a rough day, simply because we didn’t have the energy, the words, or even the intention to open up about what’s really going on. The online us often puts on a mask: one that smiles even when the real us just wants to log out and breathe.

And I know I’m not alone.

We’re all living these split lives now: the online version and the offline version.

The online “me” that posts, likes, reacts, replies. And the offline “me” that’s still figuring stuff out, still gets awkward, still zones out during serious conversations because I’m thinking about what song would fit my next Reel.

This split-screen living has made me reflect a lot lately. We’ve built avatars of ourselves: one that lives online and one that breathes offline. Sometimes they overlap, but often they don’t. And I’m learning that it’s okay. It’s okay to log out, switch off, and just be. It’s okay to not always match your feed’s vibe. And it’s okay to remind yourself that real life: messy, chaotic, hilarious, and unfiltered, is still the best version.

So next time you find yourself exhausted after “just scrolling,” pause. Breathe. Touch some grass. Sip water. Call a friend. Remember, there’s a you beyond the screen, and that version deserves just as much attention.

Until next time,
Trying to stay offline (but also kinda online )