When I first got online with AOL back in the early 90s, I was smitten. Chat rooms connected me to people all over the country. Websites had information on products, how to instructions and even library materials.
Email let me send information to my customers instantly vs. faxing or messengering did.
I was sure the Internet would change the world.
It did.
In many ways it changed my world. It gave me a career, flexibility and mobility.
It opened me up to home improvement, arts, and exercise in ways I could never have imagined.
Unfortunately, over time, it became more and more focused on marketing and sales until we finally reached the point we are at today.
The Internet has devolved into the Idiocracy of 2020.
Nearly every website has:
“This site uses cookies to better serve you…(ads and track you and sell your data to others)”. You must click accept to see anything on this site.
“You should see what she looks like now” and models with large breasts over a caption “What police in your city don’t want you to know.”
Articles that are an exact duplicate of content found on other popular sites. Even news sites have become cut and paste regurgitations of press releases and AP blurbs.
If you want to explore Idiocracy come to life in 2020, go to YouTube and select Trending to see a feed of videos like: “The results of my pregnancy test!”, ” I ate the world’s biggest pancake!” , “I built the world’s tallest lego tower!” and “Addison Rae’s shocking new hairstyle!” accompanied by thumbnail photos of a person with his or her mouth wide open in feigned joy, shock or surprise. These are actual trending videos. (I wish I was making this up.)
News sites are filled with more clickbait ads than content.
Unless you use a blocker or clear your history, you’ll be forever haunted by “targeted ads” based on your history.
I clear my history frequently and disable as much google tracking as possible, so I am forever hounded by the stupid video ad that starts with some jag off yelling “The soap you shower with is shit“. For what it’s worth…I’ll never buy that soap or watch that commercial.
Where do we go from here?
Ad supported “free content” has taken us from the Internet of 1999 to the internet of today.
I think going forward the Internet will become even more advertising heavy. For high quality content, we’ll have to pay a high price. Just like we do for high quality food, clothing, and housing.
In the meantime, I keep opting out more and more. Instead of browsing, I write my own essays.
Instead of streaming video, I paint or play the drums.
To relax after dinner, I walk the dog.
Some nights I read books.