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Social Anxiety

Online spaces aren't always safe spaces.

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Social anxiety disorder is a persistent, overwhelming fear of social situations that significantly impacts daily functioning — it is far more than shyness. The NHS describes it as "a long-term and overwhelming fear that does not go away and affects everyday activities, self-confidence, relationships and work or school life." The physical response is real and involuntary: nausea, trembling, sweating, heart palpitations, and full panic attacks. The condition typically emerges during teenage years and does not automatically resolve without treatment.

What they cannot do

• Join voice channels without significant physical distress — nausea, trembling, panic
• Participate spontaneously when called on without preparation
• Always respond quickly — anxiety increases cognitive processing time
• Reliably predict which situations will be triggering

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Common misconceptions

• Online anxiety isn't real anxiety
• They just need to put themselves out there and they'll get used to it
• You can't have social anxiety about games or casual chat
• They'd be fine once they know the group well enough

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How to actually help

• Never call on them unexpectedly in a voice channel
• Provide text-based equivalents for every voice-dependent activity
• Be patient with delayed or brief responses — they are not rudeness
• Don't comment on their absence from voice — make text participation feel natural and equal

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