I spent yesterday sitting on my unpacked boxes in the dark, furiously eavesdropping on my 17-year-old brother’s Discord call through the door while visiting home. I moved into my first solo apartment three months ago, and since graduation, my entire friend circle basically evaporated into ghost mode. I have literally nobody to text. Meanwhile, he’s laughing until 3 a.m. with ten people, and I felt this toxic urge to pull the router plug just to wipe that smile off his face. Why am I turning into this bitter, jealous creep toward my own little brother?

Step away from the Wi-Fi cable: you’re not a monster, you’re just deeply lonely in an echo chamber of cardboard boxes. Moving into your first place sounds like ultimate freedom, until the door clicks shut and you realize adult friendships require actual calendar gymnastics. In high school, friends were handed to you cafeteria-style every morning. Your brother is still living in that social daycare, while you’re out in the wilderness trying to remember how people talk to each other without a teacher forcing you into group projects. Your jealousy isn't malice—it’s grief for an effortless community you suddenly lost. Stop using his bedroom door as front-row seats to your own misery. Rebuilding your circle takes awkward work, but it starts with one low-stakes ping. Hit up the one old friend you actually miss and write: "Hey, completely vanished during the apartment move, but I'd love to grab a coffee this week and catch up." Empty flats echo terribly at first. Go start some noise of your own.