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Theory to Reality: The Internet Is Dead
But we can revive it
I remember first hearing the term “dead internet theory.” It seemed like the title of a dismal sci-fi novel, the kind you’d buy at a used bookshop and never read.
But now, years later, I can’t shake the notion that it’s no longer a hypothesis but our reality.
The internet, as we know it, has died. And no, I am not being theatrical. I am just paying attention.
Allow me to take you back for a bit.
Do you recall the early days of the Internet? It was wild, untamed, and full of promise.
It felt like a digital frontier where anyone might make a claim.
I spent hours perusing forums, finding unusual websites, and chatting with people who shared my interests.
It was messy, but it was alive. It was a real person.
Now, fast forward to the present.
Scroll through your social media feeds. Click on one of the recommended videos. Read the comments section.
Does it feel alive to you? Or does it feel curated? Calculated? Artificial?
The dead internet idea claims that most of what we see online is no longer created by humans.
Instead, it is created by algorithms, bots, and artificial intelligence. Initially, I disregarded it as a paranoid conspiracy. But the more I considered it, the more it made sense.
Think about it — how many of your interactions online are with real people?
How many of the posts you see are genuine expressions of thought, and how many are designed to keep you scrolling, clicking, and consuming?
I’ll admit, I didn’t want to believe it.
I wanted to hold onto the idea that the internet was still a place of human connection. But then I started noticing the patterns.
Ads that follow you everywhere
The strangely accurate timing of commercials seems to read my mind. The never-ending stream of information that feels just familiar enough to pique my interest but never shocking.
