Why the Internet Never Stopped Being September

Since 1993, the internet has existed in a state of eternal September. A massive influx of new users permanently broke the tradition where online culture reset itself every autumn when college students arrived.

Before the early nineties, internet communities followed a predictable rhythm based on the academic calendar. Every September, thousands of university freshmen gained access, causing a temporary cultural clash until they learned the norms. Once major providers opened access to the general public, the cycle of assimilation failed. This massive, unending wave of newcomers fundamentally changed how we interact online, forever ending the era of a small, niche internet.