u/mysterious-aquarius2

you know the whole “we were cringe but free” aesthetic people yearn for in the current climate. it feels like there was something culturally distinct about this period; hipster trends, image macros, random pop culture obsessions, and that raw-but-still-genuine internet tone before everything became so intensely self aware.

as in you could like things, be a little messy without needing to signal your identity or social positions. you could like a celeb without caring who they support. an old tweet or dumb moment wasn’t treated as a moral bio.

obviously that era had its faults, but i miss how good it was when social media felt fun and things could just be low-stakes and non political. it seems like we went from "sincerity" to "everything must be analyzed, positioned, and made socially legible"

there's not a day that goes by where i start and end my time feeling sad, refreshing and scrolling on this site just to keep up with news. i get the feeling its bad for me yet i don't want how to quit doing this.

i feel like i’ve completely lost track of time lately.

i'm physically there, but i don’t always feel fully present. my brain feels foggy almost every day, and everything seems to blur together. i’ve been having a lot of trouble organizing my thoughts, remembering things, thinking clearly, and even understanding or processing things sometimes. its hard to explain, but i just don’t feel like my mind is working the way it should, and i'm really worried about myself :(

i feel like i’ve completely lost track of time lately.

i'm physically there, but i don’t always feel fully present. my brain feels foggy almost every day, and everything seems to blur together. i’ve been having a lot of trouble organizing my thoughts, remembering things, thinking clearly, and even understanding or processing things sometimes. its hard to explain, but i just don’t feel like my mind is working the way it should, and i'm really worried about myself :(

blog in the early 2010s most known for what seems to be regular occurrence now, e.g callout posts and more

it gets a bad rep today, but i've heard there was a point in which it wasn't a public billboard and used to be cool or nice way to stay in touch with peers. your grandma or boss, politicians you knew didn't have an acc... and you could also customize your profile, add music, write long entries, create your avatars and more.

etc. sites like gaia, livejournal, xanga, piczo, bebo, vampirefreaks

A party pooper. 😝

For those who grew up back then, what was different about it that we don't do now. As like for fun or pop culture wise (games, music, movies) I know social media still existed e.g friendster, xanga, livejournal did people spend all day on it though or for only a short amount of time?

I don't want to completely give up the tech of today but at the same time i feel burnt out relying on internet for everything from work to food, maps, clock, calendar, music, QR codes etc.

Oh and those who grew up back then (22 y/o here) what else did friends do at the time for fun? I know social media still existed e.g. myspace, livejournal, xanga, friendster. but did people spend all day on it, or for only a short amount of time?

I think its fair to say with infinite choice now everything seems overwhelming, especially in pop culture where trends move too fast and we don't share anything alike.

people blame social media but i'd argue it was good at one point during early facebook, myspace.. the old youtube (boxxy, nigahiga, jenna marbles) before content became monetization driven

2004-2008 hits at a sweet spot for me since the internet existed but there was a bit of blend between the physical / digital world. we listened to an ipod or radio on the go, printed out directions. A big game like halo or movie release was still an event. when netflix used to mail in DVDs and cable (jetix.. toonami.. MTV2.. fuse) a TV or flip phone didn't have apps. once you left the computer room, you were offline 😌

https://i.redd.it/rjvn8p2qoz9h1.gif

Saw this format and I thought it fit her expression too well. 😆

https://i.redd.it/4y3o26h6eu9h1.gif

Saw this on tumblr and I thought it fit her expression too well. 😆

as the saying goes 'the internet never forgets' meaning whatever you post online can resurface and be traced back to you, no matter how long ago it was. did that not matter in the wild west era? (shit like old newgrounds humor, goatse, xbox live)

were people at the time also not particularly 'progressive' when it came to social issues or holding people accountable?

~asking as a 22 yr old who loves Internet history, thanks :)