If there is one thing we can agree on, it is that the Internet is a weird place. The most bizarre, unexplained things go viral, spawning trends that, in retrospect, seem so strange that we want to remove them from our minds.
So, it’s time for a little nostalgia. Prepare to *cringe*, because here are several cringy things millennials used to do on the internet that you definitely participated in over ten years ago:
1. Chain emails
Yes, those are the chain email messages I discovered in my old inbox from 2012. I mean, why?
I don’t recall ever forwarding a chain email; instead, I used to respond to folks with “Stop sending chain emails!”. I was a know-it-all, but who can blame me?
2. The Harlem Shake
Okay, I confess: my roommates and I occasionally play this song at gatherings merely to confuse people. Yes, even in 2024, I still play the “Harlem Shake” music. It always upsets people, as if we’re all ashamed to have created this and even more concerned that no one questioned it back then. Because, in its prime, this fashion made absolutely no sense, but it was everywhere.
3. In-depth Tumblr posts, such as “Just Girly Things” or “Keep Calm and ___ On” photos.
It was enjoyable at the time, and I understand that it suited an aesthetic. However, these postings managed to make even the most common topics appear distinctive or thought-provoking. But what irritates me the most about these is that they are overly glamorous and romantic for no apparent reason. Nobody’s life appeared to be as idyllic as these posts depicted.
4. Asking people to like your Facebook status in exchange for a TBH or rating
Yes, that is real; please do not condemn my 2013 Internet habits. I definitely participated in this trend, but in retrospect, it made no sense and was perhaps one of the most toxic and phony things on the Internet at the time. expressing “TBH, ur really nice” was equivalent to expressing “TBH, I don’t know or like you.” And don’t get me started on rating other folks.
5. The #DoNotJudgeChallenge
In this “challenge,” participants would disguise themselves as “ugly” as possible, cover the camera, and then turn into the most “beautiful” version of themselves.
These really boiled my blood. They turned the idea of not judging someone based on their appearance on its head, effectively stating, “Don’t judge a book by its cover — not because it’s what’s on the inside that counts, but because I’m actually really pretty when I want to be.”
6. And while we’re talking about it, musically in general,.
Remember when TikTok was named Musical.ly, and it was all about lip-syncing? To high-pitched, Alvin and the Chipmunks-style renditions of popular songs? I still don’t understand why people thought that was a good idea. It was just weird.
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7. Addressing everybody as “bae”
I’m going to be 80 years old and still calling everyone bae.
That took me a while to understand that wasn’t simply a typo for “babe.”
8. AskFM, the site where you may ask people anonymous questions.
My older sister asked, and I discovered that my father was cheating on my mother.Meg (@megmaybekinda) tweeted on June 2, 2024.
Speaking of toxic, did this cause a lot of trouble back then? I believe my parents stopped me from creating a profile, which is a good thing because I doubt I would have survived this terrible website.
9. Dabbing
Dabbing lasted a long time, right? It became increasingly overused. It’s now subsided, but I swear I still see people dabbing every now and then. (I do love Betty White, though.)
10. Moustaches and fake spectacles
Didn’t some individuals have finger tattoos of mustaches back in the day? And people did wear “nerd glasses” without lenses because they believed it was cool. Pair these two pieces with a hair ribbon and you’ll look incredibly 2010s.
11. Tide Pod Challenge
This still confuses me. Why did anyone think it was a good idea to eat Tide Pods? Where did these people obtain their ideas in the first place? We will never know. But I’ve been scarred for life—I think of this tendency every time.
12. Poking people on Facebook
Poking your friends was all the rage. Why did we do this? I am not sure, but if you started a “poke war” with a pal, you were officially besties. Not to mention, it was the most effective technique to flirt with your crush at the time.
13. Kylie Jenner’s Lip Challenge
Remember how folks would suck on a plastic device and their lips would swell? And sometimes BRUISE? Kylie’s impact.
