Punk/goth/emo were still distinct. Alt was just an umbrella term. Pretty sure that’s how Alt-TikTok works too.

The main difference I think is that “alt” used to have more of an othering flavor because it was coded for outsiders, maybe grownups. So if you ever used it to describe yourself, air quotes were implied, like “skater boy.”

Gen z seems more comfortable using the umbrella term. Perhaps less concerned with getting tagged for posing. Shrug