Do You Have Token anxiety?

A developer reflects on 'token anxiety' — a growing phenomenon where developers, especially in the Bay Area, feel compelled to keep AI agents running constantly, sacrificing social life and mental wellbeing for perpetual productivity. Drawing parallels to his own past startup obsession, the author shares personal experience with vibe coding, noting that while AI tools enable building more than ever, the output quality is questionable and the sense of satisfaction is absent. The core message: the anxiety of always needing something running is real, the pressure multiplies with every new AI benchmark, and no feature is worth sacrificing genuine human connection.