AIM is Shutting Down Forever So People Are Sharing Their Hilariously Cringeworthy and Embarrassing Old Screen Names on Twitter
It’s official: something nobody knew still existed will soon cease to exist and for those of us that grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, it feels like our childhood playground has been razed to the ground.
Aol Instant Messenger, or AIM, announced on Friday that they’ll be shutting down for good on December 15, 2017, and while very few people will be affected (because who actually uses AIM anymore?), millennials are in mourning. For millennials, making a screen name was right of passage into what was undoubtedly the cringiest periods of our lives.
AIM set the stage for all of our awkward phases. From quoting our favorite punk and emo bands in our away messages to making the first move on your crush that you were way too scared to talk to in person, AIM was truly where we learned to behave on the internet. Like any learned behavior, learning to communicate online involved a hefty number of missteps. For example, we had to learn that ~*~ TaLkInG LiKe ThiiS ~*~ orr lykkee thissss was a no-no. But for many, if not all of us, the biggest mistake we made was also our first: choosing a screen name.
If you ask someone what their AIM screen name was back in the day, there's a 90% chance they'll blush.
— Sam Murphy Kelly (@HeySamantha) October 6, 2017
if your AIM screenname wasn't too embarrassing to ever say out loud past the age of 12 I can't relate to you
— ~spooky~ellie ??? (@holy_schnitt) October 8, 2017
All weekend, people have been taking to Twitter to share their embarrassing screen names, like these:
1. For this hopeless romantic, parting with AIM is such sweet sorrow.
RomeoA2S2 - Act II, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet is the balcony scene. Thought girls would think it was romantic.
— Candy Scare-itt (@A_Merritt) October 6, 2017
They did not.
2. When I was 7, I was sure I was going to marry Lance Bass. I guess we both got unlucky.
claylvr07 when Clay Aiken was on American Idol...
— Cara Jeffrey (@cara_jeffrey) October 6, 2017
3. 16-year-old you was wrong.
I was 16, so b00bLover16 seemed like a great idea
— Jeff Lerner (@OneFastLerner) October 6, 2017
4. I was gonna come up with a better screen name, but then I got high.
I had both pic.twitter.com/bwJQqXMBA7
— JK (@Yanks23242) October 6, 2017
5. Ah, to be young and naive.
in honor of AIM shutting down id like to come clean abt my 1st real screenname:
— cassidy (@smittyrooo) October 6, 2017
doggielover069
in hindsight, the messages i got make sense
6. Never forget the stright edge movement.
RIP #AOLInstantMessenger. My AIM screenname was uncorrupted630 because I was VERY proud of the fact I didn't drink/have premarital sex
— Jack Dongle (@jacksfilms) October 6, 2017
7. I mean, "zero" is in there so it's not entirely a lie.
Rest in peace AIM. My first screenname was zeroskter11 and I did not even own a skateboard.
— Jim O'Connor (@JimmySquats) October 6, 2017
8. As much as I love tacos, I've got to admit, that is tragic.
In case anyone asks, Tragic Taco Girl was my AIM screenname. @YTWFXX
— Alex Palombo (@AlexPalombo) September 14, 2017
9. Someone was fun at parties!
Mine was ‘hansilo.’ When I was in 7th grade, I made a farming-themed Star Wars parody film and my character was Han Silo.
— Matthias Sundberg (@masundbe) October 6, 2017
10. I don't blame you. My heart will go on for Titanic-era Leo and AIM alike.
Leolover111174 - #s were Leo DiCaprio's birthday. Was in middle school & obsessed ??
— Mallory Verner (@meverner) October 6, 2017
11. You must have been the foxiest bitch in ten countries.
I’m not proud of this but it was Rollergirl84; I was a big fan of the movie Boogie Nights and was born 1984.
— Jessica Redding (@JessicadRedding) October 6, 2017
12. Did you do it for the nookie?
Limp_Bizkit_rulz_69 because I was and still am terribly lonely
— Nonagon (@nonagonmusic) October 8, 2017
13. A youth as sweet as honey (mustard).
“JackDanielsHM” - I had a sad obsession with JD’s Honey Mustard. Hadn’t yet ventured into Tennessee Whisky. #RIPAIM
— Justin Avioli (@AFlyingOlive) October 6, 2017
14. Mistakes are how we learn.
HungDaddy69 - I still hate myself for that
— Josh Moloney (@JMoloney28) October 6, 2017
15. AIM: the ultimate platform for showing off how emo you were.
M1SSMURDER1012 - I was really into AFI.
— Christina (@idontlovethat) October 6, 2017
16. This is peak 90s.
BackyardBaseballChamp1000 (still waiting for those Tshirts btw)
— Alex George (@Asgeorge1991) October 6, 2017
17. Just kidding, this is peak 90s.
Ok my first AIM screen name was "nylety" because I liked TY Beanie Babies at the time.
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) October 7, 2017
I was 8. Please respect.
18. Damn it, they just keep topping each other!
in honor of AIM's upcoming death, here is my incredibly '90s first screen name: g0tmilk501
— David Bertozzi (@djbertozzi) October 6, 2017
19. Of course, you've got to include your eye color.
Rip Aol's AIM - what was your first cringy screen name? Mine: blueyedbrat
— Cassie Ramoska (@cramoska) October 6, 2017
20. To be fair, 1999 was pretty cool.
my AIM screen name was rdsports99 because
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) October 6, 2017
a) RDS are my initials
b) I liked sports (still do tbh)
c) it was 1998 and 1999 seemed cool
21. Where do we go from here, AIM?
I never felt cooler in my lifetime than having my AIM screenname be “FEELiNG x3 THiiS” #RIP
— Sam (@sam_oniraug) October 6, 2017
22. Your musical taste was diverse.
My first AIM screen name was AaliyahsEmoKid so yes, my personal brand has always been confusing
— ? Crypt Deadman ? (@ChrisDStedman) October 6, 2017
23. Appropriately, Mr. Cellophane is about as emo as it gets on Broadway.
My first AIM name was MrCelloFan because I was 11, obsessed with Chicago, and couldn't spell. #RIPAIM
— Jeffery Self (@JefferySelf) October 6, 2017
24. I, too, remember being acutely intrigued by the word "zamboni" as a pre-teen.
First one: zamboniking5
— Ethan Rothstein (@ethanrothstein) October 6, 2017
I have never ridden or owned a zamboni https://t.co/EiWpDM46Pu
25. You could've fooled me.
Canadaman5000 (I lived in Florida at the time)
— Spooky Dave! ??? (@Contramandave) October 6, 2017
26. *Hard-cringe*
ChaChaSlideGal ...because I was really into the Cha Cha Slide #onehopthistime
— Shelby Scott (@ShelbyM6493) October 6, 2017
27. The unspoken rules.
SunnyTaurus06!! Because those WERE the rules
— Diana (@gerbdi) October 7, 2017
28. AIM is where we first learned that on the internet, you can be whoever you wanna be!
surfrgrl128 THAT'S RIGHT THIS BITCH HAS NEVER NOT ONCE STOOD UP ON A SURF BOARD
— Raena Shirali (@raenashirali) October 6, 2017
29. Because we were all just as lame as you, Poohole69.
I once had the AIM screen name Poohole69 and I don't know why anyone talked to me
— Vampierson ? (@piercebrochill) October 6, 2017
AIM may be signing off for good in December, but before that door shuts for the final time, you can still log in and save whatever convos are still on there. If you can remember your password, that is.
So long, yellow running man. The last 20 years have been real. GTG.
~~**dOn't CRy bECausE iT's over, SMiLe bEcaUSe it haPpeNEd*~*~ ;) https://t.co/utKMdQvwjY
— Cate Domino (@CateDomino) October 6, 2017
My embarrassing screen name was brwneyedangel17. What was yours? Share in the comments section so we can all laugh at each other! That’s what the internet is for, after all.
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