Midnight Scroll

Am I the only one doing the midnight scroll again?

You know the one. That one last innocent swipe before bed that turns into 47 profile views, 3 emotional breakdowns, 2 new certifications, a late-night rage-apply spree, and now I’ve somehow signed up for a free webinar on “How to Manifest a Career in Cybersecurity Without Crying.”

The scroll starts out harmless. You’re just “winding down.” Maybe checking a message. Maybe liking a post. Next thing you know you’re elbows-deep in a thread where a guy says he landed his dream job after quitting everything, moving to Costa Rica, and selling vintage cameras. He now earns six figures working four hours a month. You don’t even like photography, but suddenly you’re Googling “how to ship film internationally.”

Then you hit the spiral.

Someone posts “Humbled to announce I’ve accepted a new role!”

You: Cool, good for you.

Two seconds later: “After 287 applications, 97 rejections, 17 interviews, and 12 mental breakdowns, I finally made it!”

You: Okay wait—those are my exact stats. Where’s MY announcement?

Suddenly your entire feed feels like a Hunger Games arena for emotionally unstable professionals. Everyone’s either posting a win, a meltdown, or a reminder to hydrate—except the water is just corporate Kool-Aid served by people with “Talent” in their title who ghost you after round three.

Then it happens: you see a post with a quote. No context. Just a quote.

“Your rejection is just redirection.”

And in that moment, you almost throw your phone, but instead you screenshot it—because deep down, you’re broken and hopeful.

You pause.

You yawn.

You consider sleeping.

Then you see it.

That one recruiter who viewed your profile at 11:52 PM and didn’t message you.

What were they doing? Why are they awake? Was it accidental? Were they intrigued? Are you getting an offer tomorrow or a restraining order?

You decide not to think about it, and scroll again.

Then—somewhere between a post about quiet quitting and a meme about Gen Z refusing to work before 10AM—you see a job post that says “Looking for a rockstar with 20 years of experience for an entry-level role. Must be fluent in 4 languages, have a master’s degree, and work weekends. $17/hour.”

You rage apply.

You submit the résumé you swore you’d never use again.

You attach the same cover letter that opens with “Dear Hiring Team, I’m excited about the opportunity to…”

You lie down.

You try to sleep.

Then your brain whispers:

“Did you spell the company name wrong?”

“Did you forget to change the job title in the opening paragraph?”

“Do you even want this job, or are you just trauma-clicking again?”

You sit up.

You grab the phone.

You scroll again.

One more time.

Just to see if someone posted something new. Something inspiring. Something chaotic. Something that reminds you that we’re all out here—scrolling, lurking, overthinking, half-unemployed, fully caffeinated, and wondering how 8 hours of screen time still doesn’t equal 8 hours of sleep.

So no, you’re not the only one.

We’re all here.

In the algorithm.

Together.

Just… one more scroll.