Lately, I’ve been trying to spend less time on my phone. Well, mainly less time on social media. 

Easier said than done.

I’ve deleted and redownloaded Instagram more times than I can count on one hand. Every time, I tell myself I’m done. And every time, I reinstall it — for Reels, of course.

At this point, scrolling feels automatic, like muscle memory. Half the time, I open Instagram without even realizing I’ve done it.

I’m not proud of it, but I’ve basically been on social media since I was 10 years old. I remember when my mom finally let me download Instagram, and my first profile picture was a gummy bear. Looking back, that feels way too early.

It’s sad, actually, that it’s normal now for kids to grow up on social media. That means I’ve spent more than a decade living half in the real world and half online. It’s easy to forget to question what constant connection does to us.

Pause.

Reading that back, I know I sound like a boomer. But screens have become so ingrained in everyday life that the noise just feels normal.

That’s exactly what Eli Rallo talked about during her Boston book tour stop at Union Church on Oct. 16. She put my exact feelings into words.

Her new book, “Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?” is about growing up, burning out and trying to make sense of life in a digital world that never shuts up, all while navigating the pressure and expectations of your 20s.

I’ve followed Rallo on TikTok for years because she’s relatable in a way most influencers aren’t. She doesn’t pretend to have it all figured out. She’s also unapologetically a theater kid, which, as a fellow hot-girl-theater-kid-journalism-major, instantly makes me trust her. 99% of my friends are or were, at some point, theater kids.

The best word to describe Rallo’s book is comforting. Her target audience is literally me. There were moments while reading when I could practically hear her voice talking directly to me. 

This book feels almost uncomfortably, achingly relatable as someone still figuring out adulthood, trying to be a good friend, girlfriend, daughter, sister, student and an ever-improving version of myself — all while balancing the endless expectations of who I “should be.”

I’m reading the book out of order, by the way — not sure if that was the intention, but it feels right. 

During her tour event, Rallo discussed learning to be okay with not having a set plan, advice I really needed to hear. On the T the other morning on my way to work, I read the chapter “Does Anyone Else Feel Like They’re Having a Quarter-Life Crisis?”

And my jaw was practically on the floor. Every experience she wrote about, I’m starting to have: the pressure and unrealistic expectations of being a young woman in society and the workforce, the need to be the “best friend” — while still honoring your own feelings — and the constant need to make everyone happy all the time. 

And I thought: If my favorite influencer, who seems to have it all together, feels this way, how many other people must too?

That night, the church was packed — mostly with young women who clearly saw themselves in Rallo. 

Rallo said, “I promise you, nobody feels totally fine, especially not in 2025 … We’re all freaking out. We’re all sort of drowning, both independently and as a collective.”

And everyone laughed together. But it wasn’t a “haha” laugh — it was a collective sigh of relief. That’s how I knew everyone in that room had felt, at some time, the same way I have too. 

Rallo’s book is a collection of essays, each beginning with a version of the question “Does anyone else?” — like “Does anyone else have no plan?” or “Does anyone else avoid the OB-GYN?” It’s the kind of book you can open to any page and instantly find a phrase or chapter that resonates with you.

I love how it’s structured. Her essay-style writing is exactly what I aspire for in my lifestyle column “Maia’s Inner Monologue.” It makes reading feel intimate, like she’s speaking directly to you.

During her talk, she touched on topics from imposter syndrome and burnout to friendship breakups and the infamous five-year plan, which she called “the most insane concept.” And I 1000% agree — every time I try planning my life, I end up feeling more lost. Hearing someone I admire admit she’s been there too felt strangely healing.

By the end of the night, Rallo tied the whole conversation back to care, especially the invisible kind that so often falls on women.

Walking out of the event, I kept thinking about how rare it is to hear someone speak so honestly about what it’s like to be young right now — how confusing it is, how exhausting it can be and how comforting it feels to know you’re not alone.

Because that’s what Rallo’s book is really about: Those tiny moments of relief when you realize you’re not the only one. 

It’s about those instances when you ask, “Does anyone else feel this way”?

And someone says, “Yes. I do.”