Introductions bounced around what were known as party lines, shared phone spaces where multiple callers could talk at once. By the early 1980s, these systems had evolved from older telecom conferencing tools into something far more social. You dialed in, landed in a live stream of voices, and jumped in whenever you found an opening, with no moderators or real structure, just a swirl of introductions, flirting, and quick one-liners competing for attention. By 1985, companies had polished the concept and aimed it squarely at teens. Access was easy. Dial codes like 550-TEEN or various 900 numbers dropped you straight into the mix, sometimes with someone asking, “Are you the person who was talking about lacrosse last night?” within seconds. Reports from The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and People magazine tracked how quickly this took off, with calls starting around 95 cents for the first minute and about 45 cents after, billed directly to the home phone. No one stopped to calculate in real time. The appeal was simple.
