Ever felt like "The internet is convenient, but not as fun as it used to be?" 💭 I've also been feeling like the excitement online has diminished a bit lately... And that's when I came across the words of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian ✨
He said that "much of today's internet is 'dead'" 😳. It sounds pretty shocking, but when you listen carefully, it does make sense. So today, I'm going to summarize what he meant in a simple way~ 💡
Which Parts of the Internet Are "Dead"?
When Ohanian says "dead," he seems to mean that spaces where people can speak freely and connect with diverse others, like in the old days, have decreased.
Specifically, it's like this 👇
- Users are concentrated on major platforms
Everyone gathers on big names like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, limiting where conversations happen 🌸 - Increased censorship and regulations make free expression difficult
Stricter rules and over-management to prevent issues have created an atmosphere where it's hard to speak your mind freely 💭 - Strong advertising and business focus have taken away the original 'playground' feel
It's convenient, but there's a sense of it being a "manufactured space," diluting the old excitement 🥺
Because of these changes, the "free and vibrant feeling" of the entire internet is being lost, which is why he used the term "dead" 😮💨
What About Reddit? Is It Still Breathing?
Oh right, Reddit, which Ohanian founded, has been loved as a "free space on the internet," but apparently even Reddit has been tightening regulations lately, making it less of a place where you can talk about anything freely like before. So the feeling of "the internet dying" is something that's gradually happening within Reddit too 💬
What Do I Think Are the "Living Parts" of the Internet?
Reading this made me think that when we say the internet is "dead," it means places where everyone can freely exchange opinions have decreased, right? ✨
So,
- Finding small places where you can still speak freely, or
- Cherishing your favorite communities might be more valuable than ever, I thought 👀
Maybe the excitement of the old internet lies in "the small places you choose for yourself" 💭
Somehow, I feel like this gave me a chance to think about the future of the internet 🎀
I want to keep searching for ways to use the internet that feel comfortable for me~ 💗
Hatena
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I sold a bot countermeasure company half a year ago, but even back then, most web traffic was automated, and major SNS platforms weren't really concerned about it. @@The internet from the late 90s to 2000s was the best, with unique user content everywhere in weird places. @@Today's internet is dominated by corporations, and communities aren't really yours anymore. I wish they'd bring back forums with updated UI. @@Alexis Ohanian is disappointed with the current state of the internet and says 'much of the internet is already dead.' @@Reddit is pretty much dead too, with posts and comments all feeling similar. @@It's strange that he doesn't mention how Reddit's corporatization relates to user decline. @@It's funny that he criticizes Twitter when there are so many AI comments on Reddit. @@I dislike the word 'dead.' Humans are still creating plenty of content, it's just buried under too much automation. @@All these 'the internet is dead' headlines have no data behind them. I'm human and so are people around me. It's overblown. @@I saw a post about side effects of a certain medication, and all the comments followed the same pattern of praising the drug and blaming the side effects on the illness - it was creepy. @@Facebook is full of older people who believe SORA AI is real, and even that legendary video was fake. @@Reddit's biased moderators created small echo chambers that worsened the problems. @@Honestly, it's disappointing... though not in the refreshing way of new Coke Zero (laughs). @@If he has money and power, is he actually doing anything to make things better? @@It's ironic that the person who helped create a platform where bots thrive is saying this.
