[magic_hamster]

For most of the 80s and 90s people didn't care about being online. It was kind of the opposite of gatekeeping, people immediately labeled computer users as geeks, nerds, socially inept freaks, etc. These labels took decades to wear off.

Even if some curious minds got past the stigma, they still had to have an actual reason to go online which for many people just didn't exist until e-commerce and social networks became a thing. And then they had to learn how to use computers. This still wasn't gatekeeping because literally anyone could put in a minimal effort and go online, but effort is the key word here.

It became truly effortless with smartphones and touch screens, but this also reduced interaction to likes and tweets, and users became content consumers to be exploited with ads. This is where we are today.