you always were alone - The Lighthouse Phenomenon

Instructions

What if everyone you knew wasn't real. What if every user and their creations wasn't real. What if they were all dead. What if there truly was no one to see your work. What if you always were alone. The Lighthouse Phenomenon is the anomalous condition where one has the pervasive idea that they are all alone on the internet, with all the users they interact with simply not being real people (with what they are varying from case to case). It is described as a infectious idea, harming the physical and mental state of a person, causing physical and mental harm. While cases of the condition have been reported as early as 2005, the condition suddenly became widespread during the 2010s, coinciding with the rise of social media sites at the time and the release of Scratch 2.0. Cases seem to be most prevalent in children aged 11-17 and young adults from 18-26. Many affected people also seem to have a background of trauma or mental health struggles, including but not limited to - Child Abuse - Bullying - Anxiety - Depression - Paranoia Personality Disorder - S**c*d*l Ideation - S**f-H**m All affected people however, are known to have had an attachment to the internet and had friends made through online spaces. While cases are rare, from what is understood, the Phenomenon affects the human brain like this. The anomaly attacks the amygdala. There is no set timeframe for being affected, as the process is gradual. The period of time of this process is referred to as 'Stage 0' or 'Emanation'. During this stage, the affected may spend more time online, may seem more anti-social and lethargic to others, may neglect basic human needs such as food, water, sleep, exercise and human interaction (not online) and has the telltale symptom of their hands twitching uncontrollably in their sleep. 'Stage 1' or 'Infection' involves these symptoms on a more notable and severe scale, with symptoms ramped up as well as insomnia, loss of appetite and most notably, paranoia. The subject may also become less socially intelligent, losing skill in empathy. The idea also begins to infect and plague their mind. Stage may last an unknown amount of time due to how difficult it is to pick up on the conditon at this stage. 'Stage 2' or 'Fugazi' involves the sudden, unexplained relief of these symptoms. The affected show no symptoms of the condition, outside of the hand twitching. Their mood may be more happy and upbeat, and they will actively seek social interaction. In some cases, it improves the person's social ability prior to the condition. 'Stage 3' or 'Atrophy' is the final stage of the condition. It plunges the affected into a deep state of paranoia, as they completely avoid in-person interaction, spending as much time as they can on the internet as the idea completely takes over. Victims lose the ability to tell when they are hungry or thirsty, become increasingly insomnolent and are overtaken with paranoia. If they interact with others in-person, they typically begin to speak obsessively over the idea, lashing out and assaulting others if they do not agree. Stage 3 Victims only go down few paths. Many die from neglect, dying of dehydration/starvation as they become increasingly obsessed. Some die by their own hands, unable to cope with the thought anymore anymore. All other cases were institutionalised in psychiatric wards for research and analysis. No cure, treatment, or prevention has been made so far.