I think I hate the internet – Strategic Tree
This is becoming an increasingly widespread viewpoint, and I can sympathise strongly with lots of it -- in particular, I'd be happy to see social media gone entirely, I think it's been overall a net negative for society at this point.
The internet was about connection, but the way I see it, it’s become a great way for bad actors to defraud vulnerable people. For racists to find other racists and amplify their unsavoury views. For paedophiles for groom children with anonymity. For governments to manipulate with ease. For companies to advertise with incredibly accurate and exploitative advertising campaigns. The list just goes on and on. [....] Social networks have become an evil for global societies and I think the negative impacts have far outweighed any positives.
What is the internet now to me? In many ways it’s something that I have to tolerate to do many things that functioned fine before. I have to use an app to pay for parking. I need to create an online account to pay for a family swim at the local leisure centre. I have to submit an online form to book a slot at the local recycling centre. I need an app to check my bank and credit card balances. And to allow this experience to be bearable I have to service and finance a £600 phone, pay a monthly contract and subscription to Apple, I then have to install an adblocker because otherwise sites are just unusable. I have to navigate endless authentication prompts and MFA codes, and generate unique passwords for everything and store them in a password manager. I have to charge a phone daily and apply a screen protector and a case to ensure this delicate glass and metal object doesn’t smash to pieces and remove my access to my own digital life I’m forced to maintain. And this phone itself needs maintenance and demands my attention all the fucking time; I have to turn off notifications, and ensure the apps are up to date, and make sure the iOS version is updated too, and I need to opt out of marketing emails, and ensure I don’t click on a phishing email, and I need to keep my spam filter in check, and run a VPN to maintain a basic level of privacy, and on and on and on…
Tags: technology internet social-networking social-media tech future society