It’s almost midnight again, and here I am, writing. I’m trying to stay somewhat on schedule with this whole blog thing. Lately, I’ve been thinking about social media—particularly how it’s evolved for my generation, and especially people around my age.

When we were 10 or 12 years old (circa 2000-2002), ICQ was the thing. We’d head over to computer clubs, tell the “boss” to put us on computer 5 for 30 minutes, fire up WinAmp, and blast whatever music someone had downloaded before us—without any clue what we were even listening to. And then, of course, we’d log into ICQ and chat with strangers.

By 14 or 15, mIRC had taken over (still my favorite era, if I’m honest). By then, most of us were getting our own PCs at home, slowly drifting away from the computer clubs. We’d join channels that matched our interests, strike up conversations with people who had cool usernames, and of course, the classic “asl pls” introduction. Those were simpler times, and it’s where I met friends I still keep in touch with to this day.

At 16 or 17, we all transitioned to MySpace and Skype. This was when that thrill of chatting with strangers started to fade. Instead, we were connecting with people we already knew and obsessing over our MySpace Top 5 friends (shoutout to anyone who still remembers that drama). I took pride in being there for people and maintaining those connections—wink. Plus, let’s not forget the endless hours spent editing our MySpace profiles, changing the background music, and chatting with bands directly. Honestly, those were some of the highlights of my online life.

By 18 or 19, everyone was slowly migrating from MySpace to Facebook. That’s when I felt like my online identity was slipping away. I never really liked Facebook, but I’ve been on it since 2008. Jeez. But eventually, I saw all my MySpace friends jumping ship, and by 2011, we collectively abandoned Skype for Facebook Messenger. Seriously, Messenger is the worst chat app—slow, clunky, ugly. For someone who came from mIRC, it was a travesty. That’s why I have a soft spot for Slack now. Slack, if you’re listening, please make a non-corporate version of your app, I’m begging you.

After 2010, it felt like time stood still. Sure, Instagram popped up, and my first picture there is still up from 2012 just as a marker of that moment. But when our parents, neighbors, and even their dogs started joining Facebook, it was like we all silently agreed that the cool stuff had moved to Instagram. And that was it. End of an era.

To be fair, Facebook still has its uses. Events, concert announcements, chatting with organizers, and even some bands engaging with fans. (Probably because their PR told them to, but hey, I’ll take it.) And, of course, the most crucial feature: birthday reminders. Honestly, in this busy world, sometimes I don’t even know what day it is, let alone whose birthday I might be missing.

But after all these years of Facebook reigning supreme, and maybe because we’re getting older, interacting with strangers online just isn’t the same. Nowadays, you’ve got to use your real name instead of a cool internet handle. For the record, I’m one of the rare ones—let’s say 50%—who’ve kept their username since our teenage years. My mIRC nickname from 2004? Commodore. And honestly, it’s kind of a part of me now. Commodore is me.

A few honorable mentions here:

• Tumblr, before it decided to shoot itself in the foot.
• Google+, anyone? Remember when Google tried to compete with Facebook and totally missed the mark? Good times.

So, until a social media platform that suits me better comes along, you’ll find me on Reddit. Honestly, Reddit feels like the last bastion of those “old school” interactions—just a username, a bit of chat or post history, and that’s it. No real names, no polished profiles, just conversations.

Anyway, that’s my rambling for today. If you made it this far, thanks for sticking around.

Stay safe out there,
Commodore Bo, out.