Tech did not ruin Tega’s life. Tega destroyed his life with tech. But unlike those who pretend to be in tech, Tega is actually a tech bro. He codes, he deploys, he fixes bugs, and occasionally, sleep steals him away. The problem is that he has allowed tech to become his entire personality, literally.
The day Tega landed his first remote job, he whispered to himself, “Finally, freedom and money.” Though money came, freedom was left behind. Instead, he entered what could only be called “laptop-for-breakfast mode”.
He wakes up and checks Slack before brushing his teeth, opens VS Code before opening his window, and starts debugging before even saying good morning to his mother.
Cold coffee has become his pure water, and just last weekend, he promised to “rest this weekend”, but as other weekends failed yet again. He proudly boasts of the grind, yet even the grind is tired of him.
Tega’s WhatsApp bio proclaims, “Shipping greatness,” though he hasn’t shipped sleep in four months. His room resembles a startup pitch deck: messy, chaotic, underfunded, and confused.
He maintains five Google Calendars but always forgets to eat (except for ordering snacks, junk and Indomie), drink (except for his ever-cold coffee), or step outside (except to attend tech conferences). Yet, he never forgets to update Jira and GitHub.
Social interactions happen on his laptops; weddings, barbershop appointments, and dates all happen on his ever on and running devices. Remote work was meant to bring flexibility, but it has become remote isolation.
His girlfriend broke up with him because he never makes time. He told her, “Baby, I’m building the future.” But her breakup text read, “You’re not even in my present.”
When he goes out with friends (happens once in a blue moon), he says things like, “Sorry guys, I have to log in and fix something real quick.” Next thing, he pulls out his laptop like a soldier drawing a gun, and will only put it back after two hours, with a “Sorry guys, hope
He skips meals, cannot remember the last time he took a walk, and believes exhaustion is a badge of honour. “If your laptop is not about to explode, you’re not working hard enough,” he says, proudly ignoring the warning signs his own body is sending.
Tega is not alone. Many tech workers, especially in Nigeria, have turned burnout into a brand identity, stress into a success indicator, loneliness into a lifestyle, and overwork into Sunday service.