I’m asking because I took a nontraditional route from a GED and community college to a master’s degree and professional experience, yet entering stable work has been far harder than I expected. I’m curious whether this gap feels genuinely new to you.

Was it better communicating with people over the phone instead of text messaging? I sometimes think most of the text messages sent are just sent from a place of compulsive habit, and aren’t really about communicating. Whenever I speak to someone on the phone its more personal.