Gemotions

Maya’s fingers hovered over the unfollow button. Mrs. Gable, her English teacher, had requested to follow her on Instagram. Maya, a chronic over-thinker, replayed the entire semester in her head: every awkward question, every late submission, every hesitant response in class. The thought of Mrs. Gable scrutinizing her carefully curated feed – the selfies, the brunch photos, the vague, melancholy poems – made her stomach churn. She felt a strange pull, a compulsion to accept, a need for the teacher’s approval.

She tapped accept. Almost instantly, a sense of relief washed over her, followed by a knot of anxiety. Maya immediately started meticulously curating her feed. Every post was now a carefully crafted performance, a plea for validation. She craved to prove she was worthy of attention.