A Delhi woman has sparked a conversation about the less-discussed side of working from home after sharing how spending the last one-and-a-half years away from an office has affected her social life. While remote work is often praised for flexibility, zero commute and greater personal freedom, she said it can also quietly take away everyday human interactions and opportunities to form friendships.
(Also read: 'Nobody takes my work seriously': Woman explains why she prefers office over WFH)
Taking to Instagram, Tanya Singhal shared a video reflecting on her experience of working remotely and why she believes it has made socialising as an adult significantly harder.
‘Work came home’
“I've been working from home for the last one and a half years and I genuinely think it has killed my social life. When work from home became common, everybody talked about its benefits—no commute, working from anywhere, flexible timing, more time to yourself. And yes, all of that is true. But I think nobody talks about what you quietly lose,” she said.
Singhal explained that she does not live in her hometown and that her college friends are now scattered across different cities, leaving the workplace as one of the few natural spaces where she could have built a new social circle.
{{/usCountry}}Singhal explained that she does not live in her hometown and that her college friends are now scattered across different cities, leaving the workplace as one of the few natural spaces where she could have built a new social circle.
{{/usCountry}}“So the only way I was going to have a circle of my own here was through work. And then work came home,” she added.
She went on to say that offices create interactions without requiring people to consciously plan them. “Somebody walks past your desk, you grab coffee together, you're having lunch with whoever is around. None of this feels like an effort. But when work comes home, you can spend an entire day without a single unplanned interaction.”
‘Adult friendships could accidentally happen’
Singhal also pointed out that workplaces are among the few environments after school and college where adults regularly meet new people.
“Like now, if I want to meet new people, if I want to make new friends, I have to explicitly make plans and make effort for it—like go to some networking events, join some groups, go to a solo trip. But the spontaneity which a workplace will give me is just gone,” she said.
She ended by telling others feeling similarly isolated, “So yeah, if you're working from home and you're feeling that you've lost a lot on your social life, trust me, you're not alone, and it's not in your head.”
The clip was shared with the caption, “nobody talks about this quiet side of WFH”.
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The post drew several reactions from users who related to her experience. One person wrote, “100% true. In today’s world, AI sometimes feels like the closest and most approachable friend.” Another simply said, “So true,” while a third commented, “This is correct.” Echoing the sentiment, another user added, “I agree with you.”
(Also read: Woman says one week of WFH made her question her 9-to-5: ‘The hype is real’)
HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)