The Internet Should Have an End
Infinite content is not a good thing
Do you know what I like best about the Apple News App? It’s not the algorithm, which is serviceable but flawed. It’s not the selection of content, although they do have some solid stuff on there.
It’s this:
Apple News, unlike much of the rest of the internet, tells me when I am done. It even does a great job of preparing me for this message. It usually gives me the good stuff up front (or at least the stuff it thinks I will think is good) — “Top Stories,” “For You,” information about my favorite sports teams, and some stories from high-quality sources like the Washington Post. Then, if I persist in scrolling, the quality starts to decline. I’ll get some more frivolous categories — some recipes, perhaps, or second-string articles (“More Technology”) which are mostly useless.
These are pretty clear signals: there’s not much left to read! Go outside! But, as a well-trained internet junkie, I often don’t take the hint. So the app gives me a last blast of clickbait and filler (“More for You”) and then gently tells me the fun is over.
