The internet has changed, and some people aren’t happy about it. Instead of being a place of fun and freedom, many now see it as a product of capitalist forces, void of joy and spontaneity. Articles like The New Yorker‘s “Why the Internet Isn’t Fun Anymore” by Kyle Chayka are gaining popularity, expressing nostalgia for the good ol’ days of memes and social media. But is it really as bad as people say? Is the internet really all that worse off now?
This year, Elon Musk shook up Twitter and renamed it “X,” sparking even more complaints about the decline of the internet. People are lamenting the loss of old platforms and the rise of new ones popular with Gen Z, like Twitch and TikTok. Some say they just aren’t as enjoyable as the old days.
But hold on a minute. Were memes really funnier a decade ago? And are the new platforms really less entertaining than the social web of the 2010s? It’s hard to say, especially with the success stories that have come out of platforms like TikTok. Sure, there are issues, but can we really say that the entire internet isn’t fun anymore? It seems like a pretty bold claim.
While some specific platforms may be on the decline, the entire internet is far from dead. In fact, maybe it’s not Saturday Night Live, despite what some may think. Are the good old days really gone, or are we just looking at the past through rose-colored glasses? Perhaps the internet isn’t as bad as we think it is after all.
For more insights, check out the full article here.