Hyves is back and it feels nostalgically good: why we love looking back at the early days of the internet

Mediahuis Nederland has officially relaunched the once-popular social network Hyves, thirteen years after it went offline and exactly 22 years after its original founding. The platform is currently being rolled out to users through a waiting list system, with tens of thousands of new members gaining access daily to ensure system stability. At its peak, the site served nearly ten million people in the Netherlands, becoming a cultural staple of the early Dutch internet.

The revamped platform prioritizes simplicity over the modern social media experience, intentionally excluding algorithmic feeds, video uploads, and private messaging features. Instead, it recreates the nostalgic atmosphere of the original site, featuring traditional elements like digital 'krabbels', glitter graphics, and chronological post displays. As users share their excitement on platforms like TikTok, the return of Hyves taps into a broader trend of online nostalgia, raising questions about whether users are truly ready to trade modern, addictive social media interfaces for the simpler, community-focused digital spaces of the past.