Remember When?

A Toast to the (Thankfully) Departed Social Media Sites

Ah, the internet. A land of endless possibility, where you can connect with like-minded potato lovers across the globe or discover the secret recipe for grandma’s award-winning pie. But let’s be honest, it’s also a graveyard of social media platforms that once promised the moon and delivered, well, a slightly awkward six-second video of your cat trying (and failing) to wear a hat. So, join me for a virtual toast to the dearly departed, the platforms we’re (mostly) glad to see buried in the cyber-cemetery!

First up, raise a glass to Vine, the undisputed king of six-second silliness. Remember dancing babies? Looping dogs? That guy who somehow fit an entire grocery run into six glorious seconds? Vine gave us comedy gold, viral sensations, and the perfect escape from a bad day. We may not have our daily dose of looping llamas anymore, but its legacy lives on in memes and the sheer joy of perfectly timed micro-entertainment.

Next, let’s pour one out for Myspace, the OG of social media. Back in the early 2000s, Myspace was our digital diary, our music discovery haven, and the place where everyone, from your best friend to that kid who always asked to borrow your pencil, had a neon-tinged profile. Sure, the autoplaying music could be ear-splitting and the glitter graphics gave you a headache, but Myspace connected us in a way that felt raw and real.

Okay, who remembers Google+? Okay, anyone? Don’t worry, this one wouldn’t sting so much if it hadn’t promised to revolutionize the way we socialized. Circles! Hangouts! Sparks of genius! In the end, Google+ fell victim to the classic case of being “everything to everyone and nothing to anyone.” But hey, at least it gave us a brief fling with social circles that weren’t just the awkward extended family group chat.

Finally, let’s give a cautious thumbs-up to Clubhouse, the audio app still clinging to life after a major downsizing. Remember those heady days of virtual rooms brimming with celebrities, experts, and anyone with a microphone and an opinion? Sure, it got a bit chaotic (remember the Great NFT Debate of 2022?), but Clubhouse proved that sometimes, all you need is a good voice and a captive audience to spark a conversation.