Social Fatigue: Why Young People Feel Drained After Socializing, Even Extroverts

• Social fatigue is a common experience where individuals feel mentally and emotionally exhausted after social interactions, even enjoyable ones.
• It is a neurological response to sustained stimulation and emotional processing, not limited by personality traits like introversion or extroversion.
• The brain constantly processes conversations, emotions, and social cues, and when demand exceeds recovery time, exhaustion sets in.
• Emotional labor, managing emotions to maintain harmony in social settings, contributes significantly to this fatigue, extending beyond workplace expectations.
• Factors like 'always-on' digital communication, reduced social tolerance post-pandemic, and constant self-monitoring exacerbate social fatigue, especially among Gen Z and millennials.

Why It Matters: Social fatigue is a neurological overload from constant social demands, affecting all ages, requiring intentional recovery.