I remember being very confident and optimistic. I had just started college, and nerd shit had just become the dominant force in our culture.

People were joining the internet and connecting via Facebook which I thought would lead to world peace.

Bush was out of office and Obama had won.

The iPhone meant I could use the internet and apps whenever I was.

Everything was becoming higher quality. The fast food restaurants were all remodeled to look like actual buildings. TVs in waiting rooms became all flatscreen, something I associated with the very wealthy.

Every brand was trying to copy apple so everything became a lot more white and clean. Simplified.

I had discovered reddit which felt like cheat codes for knowledge, especially since I was the only person I knew in real life who knew it existed.