• A gray square shaped computer device with a blank brown background.
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    The dawn of the millennium in 2000 quietly expanded our family’s entertainment. Our parents bought a computer for us to share. I remember the excitement as we sat in our dining room, staring at the large white box, waiting for it to be set up. Before this, I’d only used them at school for typing ...
  • There is a view of a busy street in the city, showing different billboards and cars driving past a huge light display of the American flag.
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    In 2019, my girlfriend and I scored tickets to see Dear Evan Hansen, my favorite musical. As I walked into the theater, the buzz of excitement charged the air and surged through me like lightning. I had always been a fan, so the opportunity to see it on Broadway made my heart race as if ...
  • An orange background with a man in a black coat using a flip phone
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    There are Gen Z’ers who live without a smartphone by choice. Shocked? I listened to a podcast on the effects of social media and doom scrolling, a topic that fascinates me for several reasons. Being attached to our phones is so normalized that we don’t notice the abnormalities and negative patterns of this behavior. No ...
  • We see a woman sitting alone in a dark room with her hand pressed against her face, showing a depressed expression as she's deep in thought.
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    Content warnings: Contains thoughts of suicide and discussions of severe depression The doctor leaned across the desk that separated us. “After learning a bit more about your symptoms and behavioral track record, it seems to me that you show signs of having severe depression.” There was a brief moment of silence before I finally spoke ...
  • A woman is holding up a small shard from a mirror. In the reflection, it only shows her eye and a slight outline of her nose, as if showing how she ponders with what she notices within the depths of her vision
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    Exhausted. Confused. Petrified. These words pop into my head when I stare at my reflection and reflect upon where I am today. My eyes are dull, and there are prominent dark bags under them. A dull, lifeless expression dominates my face. I witness parts of my life flash before me while I watch, recalling who ...
  • There is an array of crumpled up blue post-its and loose-leaf paper, one of the pages having the following written on it: "I can do anything, not everything."
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    Have you ever heard of atychiphobia? It’s an extreme and irrational fear of failure that can clash with your daily life, preventing you from taking risks or causing you to delay tasks that you feel will result in defeat. Some classify it as a non-diagnosed anxiety disorder. I considered this terror to be one of ...
  • Light through hole in dark room
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    Who I am Is sinful in every way. Why was I created? I do not wish to stay. If I could leave, This world would be happier. No one would grieve. The Lord Himself And Heaven would cheer, If I were no longer here. These lonely nights will take their toll. These thoughts spiral out ...
  • A notebook and crumpled papers on a light background
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    Is it really poetry if we're forced to create it? Only the poet knows.
  • A woman leaning over a wooden table in frustration
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    How can I loveIn a world full of hate? How can I growWhen I’m crushed by the weight? How can I learnWhen ignorance is bliss? How can I succeedWhen jobs are remiss? How can I governWhen politics are a joke? How can I speakWhen my words always choke? How can I thriveIn this world that ...
  • Pink background and woman standing next to the words self-described and self-defined
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    It climbs from the east. Those beams that signal a new day and the promise of a fresh start. That offers the chance to shed the past, like dry, unwanted skin flaking away in the wind. That brings renewed optimism and the possibility of favorable terms. And I sigh I wait under my covers and ...