As the new millennium rolled in, so did a new lifestyle, particularly for the younger generation. We are the last to grow up spending our entire summer outside; the street lights coming on was the signal to come home for the night. Our way of making plans was ringing the doorbell or having the luxury of using the house phone if our parents weren't on it. (House what??) Our childhood quickly transitioned into a new way of life; bicycles were traded in for computers. Yet these computers still hold a large array of memories and websites that we were quick to forget until now.
1. AOL Instant Messenger
If you didn't go to the 9s on this you're lying. Everything was customized to a T, from your embarrassing screen name to your blinding neon pink font. You made away messages like "every1 sux. malllllll; text it :/ ." You would go on invisible for hours until your crush signed on and then casually acted like you were just strolling in. If you saw that their signature was their new boyfriend/girlfriend, your heart collapsed. y'd u hav 2 go & make thingz so complicatedddd :-(
2. Webkinz
Ask your parents how much they spent on these things total and they'll probably cringe. Then you threw the plush toy aside because all you needed was that tag to get to THE COOLEST WEBSITE THAT EXISTED. The whole day was easily spent decorating your house, buying clothes for your pets and playing games in the arcade to be able to afford it all. I cried when I believed the rumor that the website got hacked and Ms. Birdy got beat up and had bruises all over her body. Being 10 was hard.
3. Club Penguin
MOMM AND DADD CAN I PLEASE HAVE THE CLUB PENGUIN MEMBERSHIP SO I CAN GET ALL THE COOL STUFF?? The only thing you got if you didn't have a membership was a basic tee and an empty igloo. Who wants that? Who's going to send the heart icon to you at the pizza parlor unless you were decked out? Nobody. This was the beginning to becoming an online socialite; that's a proven fact. Now get all of your friends online so you can try and tip the iceberg.
4. Omegle
The friend that introduced you to this was basically known as a badass. Obviously the things you saw on there were a little..risque. But for some reason we thought it was fun and when we actually got a real person they disconnected in 2 seconds because nobody wants to talk to a group of ugly looking preteens. ASL??
5. Wee World
When Club Penguin didn't understand our true selves and we were ready for bigger and better things we moved onto WeeWorld. Make your avatar as hot as possible so when you bobble up and down everyone would want to talk to you. Nobody wanted to talk to me sadly. I was neither manga nor scene. First mistake.
6. OMGPOP
Along with a long list of games that you couldn't stop playing, this website gave you the goal of unlocking "Star" status. This came with perks that everyone just had to have. Here's the catch: you had to reach Level 100 in XP. Hours of Balloono and pool? No problem. Unfortunately, this site can no longer be visited in an attempt to stroll down memory lane. Gone but never forgotten :-/
7. Neopets
Similar to Webkinz on the surface, but with so much more on the inside. Like a donut with creme filling. While taking care of your pet was an option, it was never really the focus. Just stick those things in the hotel. There was an endless amount of message boards and guilds you could join to talk to everyone back in the phase where being completely literate was the ONLY way you could talk. If you didn't the grammar police was ready to attack. Don't deny it.
8. Myspace
The legend, the one that started it all, the best for last. Before Facebook and Twitter even existed, this was the heart and soul of our being. Feeling heartbroken because your ex's new mood is their crush's name? POST IT. Albums of pictures with your digital camera in your crusty mirror? POST IT. You need to make it obvious that your one best friend isn't as close to you as the other one? Make it known with your top friends on your profile. Also, glitz that profile out depending on your mood and have the soundtrack to Cheetah Girls 2 blasting as soon as you click on it. Mood: nostalgic </3
