[mrexroad]

> the social media of today don't seem all that much different from the internet forums of back in the day

I’m not trying to be a jerk, but did you actually participate in “Internet forums back in the day?” I couldn’t think of anything more different than contemporary social media. Internet forums in late 90’s and early 00’s were something special. Hell, I had more “internet friends” from online forums attend my wedding than I did friends from high school or college… and for some it was the first time meeting in person.

[ottah]

You are definitely remembering the past with rose tented glasses, because it very much was not as wholesome and safe as your describing.

[Nursie]

Did they describe them as either wholesome or safe?

To me the difference is in the doom-scrolling, the shoving rage-bait in your face and the gaming for addictiveness.

Old-school forums, whether they were wholesome or not, didn't do that stuff. Hell, I used to be on Kuro5hin, which was incredibly toxic, but I have IRL friends from there and it just wasn't the same as doom-scrolling through algorithmically selected influencers while meta/tiktok shoved ads in my face.

[quotemstr]

4chan is old enough to drink. Something Awful is from the 20th century. Don't pretend that transgressive internet content is some novel challenge that today's youth must face for the first time.

[mrks_hy]

You are mistaken if you think it is about transgression. Old forums had no algo feeds to manipulate the content you saw and steer you. This is the issue, not so much the content itself.

[xboxnolifes]

4chan is a peaceful place compared to modern social media.