I have social anxiety.

If you ask my dad, I don’t.

But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to have to work up the courage to knock on their neighbor’s door – their best friend’s door – over the course of an hour? It’s great.

High schoolers are the worst, and that’s not an understatement. If anything you don’t fully grasp how horrible they actually are. From the moment you walk into school to the moment you step foot outside those doors you’re being judged. And it’s not something anyone really has any control over either. 

Regardless, social anxiety just makes a high school experience tens times more fun.

My favorite moment has to be when we have presentations to do in front of the whole class. All those eyes on me, it makes me feel like a celebrity. The anxious fidgeting really adds to my whole lecture. Everyone loves watching me stutter and nervously bend my fingers back and forth. 

Oh! And then there’s the whispering. I can’t get mad at anybody for that, because truthfully, I do it too. It’s just loud enough that I can catch certain words, but not all of them. Stupid…confusing…bad.

On a different note, seeing a classmate or teacher outside of school is embarrassing for no reason. Like, what’s the problem?

Not even kidding, I’ve most definitely seen a kid I know outside of school and dove behind the nearest object. I don’t even think they knew I was there. But what if they had seen me? I would’ve had to drop dead right then and there. 

Honestly, I’m glad my parents don’t let me have any form of social media. It’s totally fine being the odd one out, it doesn’t add to my anxiety at all. Hahaha. Besides, the added pressure of posting things, for everybody to see, is not something I need in my life. 

It’s great having social anxiety. I do have it Dad, how else are we going to explain my low tolerance for human interaction. 

Interview with a real life student

When questioned about his social anxiety experience, student Sam Sung disclosed the struggles he’s been dealing with from a young age. “Whenever I’m walking with my phone out it feels like everybody is staring at me. It’s like they can all see that I have a Samsung phone, and they’re judging me for it.”

After comforting Sung about his disgraceful phone, I wasn’t able to make much more out through his sobs. Under further analysis of the recording, I was able to come to the conclusion that Sung will feel immense regret for the rest of his life. 

All in all, social anxiety is the best. It’s basically like a superpower. We can save the world by protesting no social interaction whatsoever. Regular people by day and self conscious superheroes by night.

It’s not at all like it’s an incapacitating fear that can affect your everyday life in a negative way.  That only happens if you think about it the wrong way.