After posting “Good morning” on Facebook, I realized I’d become my father. The boy who once cringed at parents’ social media behavior now does the same things.

This transformation proves gradual but inevitable. First I share motivational quotes ironically, then genuinely. I photograph food once deemed “uncool.” I express political opinions teenage self considered “embarrassing.”

Digital aging psychology runs complex. When parents joined Facebook, we mocked their earnestness. But aging matures our digital behavior. We become less performative, more authentic.

Most unsettling realization: our teenage judgment was shallow. Parents’ “cringe” posts reflected genuine human connection desire. Their vulnerability we ridiculed now becomes our normal.

Perhaps cyclical truth: every generation thinks they’re different, but we all follow same human patterns. Social media behavior reflects life stages, not personality flaws.

When younger cousins eye-roll at my posts today, I smile. Circle completes.