Networked chatting predates the internet. When computers are connected, that is the most obvious thing to do. Internet Relay Chat or IRC appeared in 1988. It was the first version. Groups of people choose each other, and typed messages in real time. Chat has become ubiquitous since then. Mainstream service providers (CompuServe and AOL) offered chat. E-mail services too offered chat. Napster was a chat app. Early social networks had chat features. Users had accounts on popular instant messaging services.

Multi-player games too relied on group chat. Smart phones were used as chatting devices. In 2010s, the apps had chat features or chat-like DM services.

Even livestreaming is about chat. Chatting in a live setting for the elderly is natural.

In chat, you have the freedom to join or leave. Groups can have a common interest or purpose. They are private by default. Chatting is like hanging out.

It is difficult to monetise chats. Feeds are okay. Chats have preceded them, and will survive them.

Discord app has several million people who hang out in servers of their creation. Its voice-chat feature is being used by gamers. Discord makes social media subordinate to chatting.

Metaverse, the next version of Internet, will put us into virtual environment to interact intimately from all around the world. Metaverse is not posting, it is essentially chatting.