Once upon a time, poking was purely physical. It meant extending a finger and giving someone a little nudge on the arm or ribs. It was the universal signal for “Hey, I’m here” or “Did you just say what I think you said?”
It could be annoying, sure. But it was also intimate, playful, and oddly bonding. Think of it as a primitive emoji that used actual physics instead of a screen.
Poke Them Back or Duck for Cover?
If you poked someone back in the day, you were signing up for a poke war. The rules: poke back until someone surrenders or gets bored. The winner? Usually the person with more patience and a better sense of humor.
And if you didn’t want to be poked? You’d develop a sixth sense for dodging fingers. Game theory in its purest form.
