Reactivating old accounts vs. making new ones

[Memory]

Today I found myself before a difficult choice.

I have been in a certain fan game's fandom ever since I was only 12 years old ten years ago; until when I was 16 in 2017, I left the fandom because I lost interest.

Now in 2023, being almost 22 years old, something has sparked my interest again. So, I wanted to rejoin the fandom and the associated forums for it to interact with the community once more.

But... should I go reactivate my old account from when I was 12, or make an entirely new one?

The choice is made more difficult since a lot of the things on my account from back then are now embarrassing to me, or even outright problematic. I used to be a very confident little shite with ignorant opinions and a bad sense of humor, and honestly some of the things from 2014 in particular make me uncomfortable nowadays. I do not want anyone to associate me with these old posts. They were not incredibly bad, but problematic enough to make me wince.

So, I came to a conclusion.

I decided to reactivate the old account and write a new re-introduction where I also mention that I no longer feel like I did when I was 14, and that I grew as a person.
My thought process for this decision was as thus: I think it is important to build a legacy with your accounts if you can handle it, because that way you can show people that people change, and that they grow maturer with time. I don't think the old posts should just age there uncommented, as if I just went offline and never changed my opinion. Even if these old posts are uncomfortable to me now, I can show people that that's okay, people change, and I no longer hold these opinions or would make these jokes. Some people might see that the world is changing for the better, and that ignorant kids on the internet are not going to forever be ignorant kids. I think it was a somewhat good step to own up to it.

Thoughts?

[Version]

I'm sorry if tbis does not exactly fit the question, but I faced a similar conundrum a while ago.

I used to run an instagram account when I was 13-17. It was a "meme" account, even though it never got more than 40 followers which really just gave me more of an excuse for posting whatever. At one point, I just stopped posting entirely and used the stories feature to post whatever thoughts were on my mind at the time with white text against a black background, kinda like an impromptu twitter.

My problem was: A lot of the memes or thoughts I posted in the earlier days were really edgy, problematic and frankly embarass me to this day. While I never intended to return to instagram, I wondered: Should I delete this account, or leave it? I mean, it was a HUGE part of me. It's the only place where I really got to speak my thoughts, the only place I had to vent, and to this day the only place where I came out as bi.

I settled on using instagram's archive feature, while deleting the more problematic stuff. Maybe I should not have deleted anything, but I guess it's done now. I guess the internet makes us face versions of ourselves that we don't like.


I come back to it sometimes. And you know what? Some of 16 year old me's jokes are still funny and most of his videogame opinions are still correct.

[Memory]

I'm sorry if tbis does not exactly fit the question, but I faced a similar conundrum a while ago.

I used to run an instagram account when I was 13-17. It was a "meme" account, even though it never got more than 40 followers which really just gave me more of an excuse for posting whatever. At one point, I just stopped posting entirely and used the stories feature to post whatever thoughts were on my mind at the time with white text against a black background, kinda like an impromptu twitter.

My problem was: A lot of the memes or thoughts I posted in the earlier days were really edgy, problematic and frankly embarass me to this day. While I never intended to return to instagram, I wondered: Should I delete this account, or leave it? I mean, it was a HUGE part of me. It's the only place where I really got to speak my thoughts, the only place I had to vent, and to this day the only place where I came out as bi.

I settled on using instagram's archive feature, while deleting the more problematic stuff. Maybe I should not have deleted anything, but I guess it's done now. I guess the internet makes us face versions of ourselves that we don't like.


I come back to it sometimes. And you know what? Some of 16 year old me's jokes are still funny and most of his videogame opinions are still correct.

I think your solution was good. We need to remember that the things we share can influence people, and the more problematic memes are just normal memes floating around the more people are going to be subconsciously influenced by them thinking they're fun "taboo but funny" opinions to have. I think deleting or commenting offensive and harmful things is a good step.

[tarraxahum]

I think if I were to answer that question for myself, I would be more inclined to make a new account, although that would be hardly for the reason of problematic opinions (even if I certainly didn't lack those in certain years, as most of us probably didn't)

I just have this habit of "restarting" my online life when it gets "too much". First, when the whole social thing was new, I had accounts directly tied to my real name, as is the fashion with social media. Then, as I was growing teenager-ier and edgier, I deleted some of those accounts 'cause they were deemed "cringe" by my teen self (I honestly regret it nowadays, it would be so fun to look at my 10 y.o. self, however cringe). The new accounts were only partially linked to my real name. Then eventually all the fandoms and connections I've made on there became indeed "too much" and I quietly moved to a new set of accounts, only taking a few close friends with me.

And then THOSE accounts, despite a totally fake name this time, got technically "too irl" 'cause I used them to talk to work colleagues and such (I work in a pretty informal field). And then uuuuh certain legalities came into play (don't worry i didn't kill anyone). Sooo here I am. This nickname you know me by is only a couple months old. We'll see how many years it takes me to accidentally doxx myself! Knowing me - not a lot.

I do have a couple of experiences however coming back to old strictly-fandom accounts. Or trying to, rather. What's that they say? You can't step into the same river twice? That was pretty much my experience, yeah. The good times I have archived on those accounts were clashing way too much with the apparent half-dead timelines where most of my then-friends already left just as I had. At this point I think if I'm ever coming back to a fandom acc I haven't been on for a long time, might as well just start fresh and let the past lie. Without deleting it, however. I like the archiving approach.

As far as problematic posts of the past go, I have a mildly different experience. I have an old Tumblr acc which I had for almost ten years now (and I'm only jumping it because of a weird glitch that cut off half the functionality and made me basically shadowbanned, which makes interacting with people very hard, I would just switch the url otherwise). And that acc... Well, I've never cleaned it or anything, so if someone were to dig far enough they'd find all kinds of stuff, from 'problematic' fandoms to me being very frustrated about 'being totally straight' (honey no) to me blantantly using the n-word 'cause English is not my first language and back then I didn't know better. And these are just examples that I remember, I'm sure there's a lot of stuff in there that I simply forgot about.

Same about one of my old ditched accs on another platform btw. Some of the stuff there is... Oof someone was trying so hard to be edgy. Oh boy.

The point I'm making is, I'm pretty sure most of it is still up there and I haven't gotten rid of it. Never plan to, actually, regardless of if I will be much active on there again. I'm pretty convinced I have enough growth to show for it since then, and anyone who'd try to argue otherwise would definitely not be arguing in good faith, so. Why not grow visibly? (unless you're me and have this whole avoidant identity hopping thing)

[Memory]

I just have this habit of "restarting" my online life when it gets "too much".

Absolutely, same, I go through the same things.
I don't know how many accounts I have deleted because I dragged myself into overzealous political debates or general narcissism and "identity showcasing". When I still considered myself trans and was in that larger social bubble, I talked about nothing else, posted selfies every day, did PSA posts all the time, attacked people for the most minute things, blew up with really aggressive political posts, and tried to go "viral" with callouts, and even talked myself into various neuro-diversities like plurality and autism n stuff so I could put them on my profile even though I literally (in retrospect) just imagined it because I wanted to be interesting and fit in with the cool goth kids so badly. Of course I have to mention that none of these things are bad in isolation, but believe me when I say I was absolutely obnoxious at the time.
I still consider myself nonbinary these days and am diagnosed with ADHD, but I try to make my personality less only centered around these things and less obnoxiously loud about it; instead trying to make myself more about what I actually enjoy doing and what my skills and hobbies are. Personal preferences though.

I noticed a few years ago that the unhealthy behavior that drives me to be like that on social media literally only happens with mainstream sites for me: Instagram, Twitter and so on. Ever since I stopped using them and retreated to forums, things have gotten wayy better. On forums, I feel like I think more before I post, which is way better than shouting out every thought in seconds using just a few sentences. On Twitter, I feel tempted to write a provocative post whenever I have a strong emotion, and since it only takes a few seconds, I don't think before I act.

[tarraxahum]

Oh believe me, I know the feeling.

I've went through the process of figuring out lots of identity things when already being in my early twenties so that topic definitely didn't touch my most obnoxious years - kinda wonder what that would look like - however (while admittedly going off-topic of this thread) I totally agree with you about mainstream social sites bringing out the most reactionary and/or provocative sides of people. Just, like, a couple of years ago I was totally guilty of making a twitter account centered solely on being an eyesore for a certain demographic of people whose views I condsiderd - and still consider - bigoted. It was born out of righteous(? to me at the time anyway) anger and desire to push back, sure, but what it was at the core was me deliberately seeking out conflict and feeding my own ego on mocking the opponent and 'being right'. Which is gratifying. But also admittedly self-desctructing.

While I might've kept the same negative views on those people, I've come to realization that burying myself in negativity in response for that negativity and subsequently paying SO much attention to those people, constantly looking for reasons to get mad and go viral with my response is...hardly productive.

Perhaps spreading positivity towards the people those bigots attack and talking about stuff I personally love to bring more productive (or at least positive!) energy and counter-balance the hate is much better not only for those around but even for me personally.

That acc has been inactive for some time now and will probably be gone in the ongoing Twitter purge, but that one I will hardly miss, even if I stand by all the things said. Although I did get to make some positive and educational posts on there in my better days. Pity that those will be gone.

[Memory]

This is an interesting topic. The concept of change, online identities, privacy, etc.

My favorite flavor of change would probably be redemption. But to "repent" one must have "sinned". I look around at what's online these days... correction: what I feel is most prominently online (cause all kinds of things are out there) and I see essentially highlight reels, an almost obsessive need to appear... perfect? Happy? Marketable? Hopefully you get the essence of what I'm referring to. I don't mean to knock that attitude, but I do feel that it perhaps leads to a rejection of anything but. Instead of issues being addressed, they're suppressed. I believe strongly in the concept of balance. That one way to look at life is as a continuous balancing act. The atmosphere makes me feel everyone saying: "Yes, all yang. No yin, please. Thank you". I particularly worry when I see negative topics addressed, superficially. As if everyone is going: "All is good, no tilted scales here." And the person experiencing that is meant to consider the matter addressed?

This goes for the other side as well, mind you. The echo chambers of hate and negativity, the wallowing in darkness. Are they not rejecting light?

When I see you pondering this, it feels like a breath of fresh air. A semblance of sanity. We are black AND we are white. As for what you should do, I'd say it depends on your goal and what you're trying to achieve. I say with your mindsets, you can't go wrong.

[Version]

I think your solution was good. We need to remember that the things we share can influence people, and the more problematic memes are just normal memes floating around the more people are going to be subconsciously influenced by them thinking they're fun "taboo but funny" opinions to have. I think deleting or commenting offensive and harmful things is a good step.

Oh I definitely get you, but instagram has an archive feature where you can remove stuff from your account while still archiving it for your eyes only. My question to myself at the time was more like, "Should I force myself to look at what I was like (good stuff and bad) or should I just delete the parts I don't like today?".

[Swiftpaw]

For my system when we were younger we used to remake our accounts all the time (in retrospect a part of that was because of being a system and constantly wanting to discard what was done before since we weren't enough aware of each other to compromise), but now because we tend to make so many accounts for things as a system we usually try to revive old accounts when possible. Preferably though if we can delete/archive/hide old posts and have a username change.