“Social media. Somehow I can talk about all my issues with strangers on the internet more than I can with own family and friends. Why is that?”

“Well, it’s easier to say things like that. To them, you’re a stranger as well. They don’t know you as well as say—your family does. Or your friends.”

“That doesn’t make sense though.”

“How so?”

“If they don’t know me as well. Wouldn’t I be more scared to say stuff like this? My family knows me better, my friends know me better. They should be the people I go to to confide in, not profile pictures on a screen.”

“It’s because they know you.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“That’s because if you told your friends, they’d think of you differently. You don’t want that. If you told your family, they’d think of you differently too. You don’t want that.”

“Right.”

“You like being seen as the person people lean on, not the one in need of help.”

“Right.”

“You strive to be perfect because that’s what your parents set the standard.”

“Right.”

“And you’ve stuck with that.”

“Yeah.”

“Even if it hurts you.”

“Right.”

“If you told strangers, at least you were able to tell somebody. It makes you feel a bit better about yourself.”

“At least with someone I can be myself.”

“Right.”

“…”

“…”

“I’m not talking to you, am I?”

“No. Just yourself again, I’m afraid.”

“And strangers.”

“And strangers.”

“At least a few people will end up seeing this conversation then?”

“Yes.”

“All strangers.”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…”

“Do you think they relate to me as well?”

“I’m not sure. Does it really matter?”

“I think it would make me feel better about myself, not that I want someone to also feel like me, but at least we could feel like this together if that was the case.”

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

“Indeed.”