No thanks. If this is the state of socialization in an era where online discourse is controlled by private interests with "agile" ethics, and people are too afraid to socialize in real life for a growing number of reasons, I'll deepen my mastery of hermitage.
> I’ve been on the internet since I was 14 (11 years ago).
The author is young. They weren't around to remember the early internet or life without it. Their childhood/adolescence is corporate controlled, algorithm driven websites like Youtube and Facebook. Their outlook as an "Internet native" has been shaped by the enforced behaviours of sites like Twitter.
Also it may be more an academic thing, but cold emailing is a good way to make contact. Not necessarily friends thought it can happen but at least it can make projects advance, with very little (public) noise.
Okay. But those days are gone. So what do you expect OP and folks growing up today to do? Shy of time travel they cant live the childhood you did and experience the magical internet of the ~90's.
Maybe their version is just as good to them as yours was to you?
Clearly you missed this part of post.