For as long as men have existed, fuck bois have lived amongst them. Although the actual word didn’t come along until the very early 2000s, the essence of a fuck boi has been here all along. I would even bet good money that cavemen were just swinging their sticks around, hoping just anyone would grab one.
And since technology joined the story, a man’s potential fuck boi levels have seen unprecedented highs. With computers and smartphones suddenly in the picture, they could wreak havoc on your emotional state all through the push of a keyboard, the tap of their fingers, and the swipe of their screens. And with Meta announcing that Facebook pokes have returned, it feels like we’re stuck in this fuck boi cycle forever.
Fuck bois come in all shapes and sizes. They’re the serial cheaters, repeat situationshippers — they’re the jerks who flirt with everyone and anyone and will say anything and everything to get what they want.
There was a certain allure to fuckbois, especially when you were young enough to have an undeveloped frontal lobe. You’d think that you could change them or that it was special they were paying attention to you. But after life experience and a lot (like, a lot) of therapy, you’d learn that they were cringe AF, pretty creepy and that you could spot them from a mile away.
As times have changed, fuck bois have evolved. Here’s a timeline of the evolution of fuck bois — for research purposes, of course.
MySpace IMs (2003-2007)
While Adam was the original fuck boi (I just know he manipulated Eve into eating the apple), we start our journey back in the super early 2000s: when MySpace was popular. And even on a site meant to promote individuality and expression, fuck bois found a way to penetrate. They were IMing “u up?” and “wyd” to everyone and anyone.
Facebook Pokes (2008-2014)
While wall posts and eventually Facebook messenger were readily available, the fuck bois of Facebook resorted to a creepy and totally childish way of getting someone’s attention — poking them on Facebook. This was a big win for fuck bois who were trying to snake their way back into people’s lives without having to put in too much effort. (Unfortunately for us, we’re now in a poking resurgence!)
Screenshotting Snapchats (2015-2018)
Anything Snapchat-related (especially now) basically reeks of “fuck boi.” Having multiple streaks with people, panicking when the other person saves your messages, etc. But nothing screamed “fuck boi” more than the men who were screenshotting your Snapchats — especially the more intimate ones you clearly did not want saved.
Twitter Reply Guys (2018-2022)
One of the best things about Twitter is also one of its worst: the ability to join in on conversations. For people with insightful or funny things to say, this is a lot of fun to witness. But for fuck bois who feel the need to insert their useless opinions about things that don’t concern them, this is a breeding ground for harassment. The Twitter “reply guys” are some of the worst variations of fuck bois because you have to deal with their thought processes.
Instagram Story Replies (2022-Present)
Instagram offers so many ways for one to truly be a fuck boi. There are the guys who watch all your stories but never like or comment on anything, those who use Instagram DMs as their sole form of communication, and the story reply guys. Despite never liking or commenting on any of your pictures, they are the first to reply to selfies with fire emojis, heart-eyes emojis, or the notorious pervy eyes emoji (you know the one). They never do this to stories you post about your life or accomplishments, but every time your face or body is on screen, they’re in your replies without haste. And to this day, these fuck bois torment the population with the touch of their screen.
