Age You Started Using The Internet

[MeadowR]

I haven't asked this on a forum before and I am interested to see what people say. I realise that a lot of you are still quite young so a lot of votes for the lower age ends. What age specifically did you start using the internet (if you can remember)? If you were under 10, did you have supervision?

I hope some members 18 and over will reply to this too because they should have started using it at a later age than those under. What are your memories of using the internet in these earlier days? Remember dial-up? :p

The internet 'world wide web' first went 'online' in 1996, though it wasn't until the late '90s - early '00s that the internet really hit off and became more accessible in homes.

I can't remember very well for myself, though I think we might have got the internet in 2000 or '01. Before that a friend had it so that was my occasional venture to the online world, so maybe my first taster was about 1999? So I was about 10 or 11 possibly for using the internet, and I suppose I've never looked back...

[Leatho Shellhound]

When I was younger, we 90's kids only used the computer to draw. On an old desk top with the old 90's computer drawing program.

[Ungatt Trunn]

I really started using the internet when I was 10. Once I got the hang of it, I really dived into it. And now, here I am!

[rachel25]

I started using the internet properly at about 10 or something like that. I can actually remember going on a how to learn French computer game we had when I was young. I can remember going on a big boxy computer, and thinking it was so cool.   
(You know its really weird. I was having a conversation like this with my brothers earlier today)

[The Skarzs]

In all seriousness, I've only started a couple years ago. 

Computers hate me.

[The Shade]

I started when I was about eleven or twelve. I didn't have a clue what URL, pasting, and such were. I'm slightly more geeky nowadays. 

[Rainshadow]

  I started using the computer when I was eight or nine, I believe.  I think I was playing online games like Poptropica, Barbie, and stuff like that.  I've matured a bit since then. 

[Russano the Wise]

I'm not sure exactly when I started using the internet often. Maybe sometime when I was around the age of 10-12. I think what first got me onto the computer more often was Roblox, an online multiplayer game. The main restriction I've always had on the internet is "don't take the computer in your room unless your're doing school or you get permission."

[Dawnwing]

I said 13 because that's when I started using the internet properly, but I really should have put a younger age bracket, perhaps.  I remember getting our computer in '98 and we had dial-up internet then, though I didn't use it for a few years.
(Anyone remember the dial-up tone?  For those of you too young to remember, we'd hear this every time we connected.)

I remember my dad had found some Pokemon matching game and I played that, and General Mills had a site called "You Rule School" that had cereal-themed minigames and stuff (it was a precursor to Millsberry, and it was *awesome*).  I was probably 9 or 10 at that point.  Still was just limited to about half an hour, and only sites I had permission to go on.  The Harry Potter movies had a kinda-Pottermore-like site that I went on too at about age 11-12.

At about 13 once we got a new main computer and wireless (and faster) internet, I got the old '98 in my room.  That's when I started using forums and stuff.  Within the year though my parents basically said "no going on sites where you talk to people or you don't get internet" 'cause they were afraid I'd give out personal information or be stalked or something.  I started going on 'em again though at about age 16, and finally told my mom at age 18 (she was annoyed and checked that I wasn't using my real name, but had to accept it).

[Gonff the Mousethief]

I was about 3

[The Skarzs]

I was about 3

O.O

[MeadowR]

3! You must have had supervision on that - can't see you get very far with it. I wouldn't even go on a computer at that age. We didn't really start using a computer till about 1998, though we did have an old broken '80s computer monitor in the loft for a time.

[rachel25]

  I started using the computer when I was eight or nine, I believe.  I think I was playing online games like Poptropica, Barbie, and stuff like that.  I've matured a bit since then. 

When I was little I played Barbie.  And yes, I've matured as well. 

I started when I was about eleven or twelve. I didn't have a clue what URL, pasting, and such were. I'm slightly more geeky nowadays. 

Yep, that sounds like I what I was like. I couldn't do anything, I had to get my brother to help me with everything, well almost. I still have to get help with some things. I've never got on well with computers. 

[Gonff the Mousethief]

well im 12 sooooo

[Lily]

What an interesting topic!

I've been using computers for as long as I can remember, but my family first got the internet when I was 12, so 1998. We had a 28.8k modem. The first thing I did was go on a Sailor Moon chat room that my friend told me about. Does anyone remember those old HTML chat rooms that you had to refresh every few seconds? I found redwall.org not long after that, back when it still looked like this. I remember checking the on tour section all the time to see if Brian Jacques would come to Australia, but he never did.

I still remember upgrading to a 56k modem and marvelling at how fast everything became.