When did being 'a thing' become 'a thing'?

[awfullyproper]

?

?

WTAF are you asking?

When did people become so uncertain about whatever was going on, that they needed to get confirmation from others that it was alright to be / feel / look like that.

Within the last ten years is my feeling.

I feel like I only heard it recently. You know when someone says something is 'a thing'