Did I miss the memo? Or are more and more popular sites converging to the same formats and ultimately the same content? Specifically they're all self-hosted gossip and clickbait content OR video shorts OR both. The front page of the internet, Reddit, now has such riveting questions (when using site logged out) as: Who is a celebrated famous person where everyone universally ignores the fact that they’re factually a giant POS? My ex says I’m ugly and that he he’s embarrassed to call me his ex AITA for giving up and hiring a nanny even though my wife doesn't work? Youtube is featuring Mr. Beast, Shorts, and Reaction videos Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, previously social networking apps, have transitioned to a model of showing you curated posts and clips a la TikTok that will "engage" by people you do not and will not ever personally know aka "celebrities". ESPN is hyping Dion Sanders. ESPN went the way of Yahoo long ago. So why Yahoo!ification? Because Yahoo! transitioned to this type of content 20+ years ago and has NEVER returned to relevancy. Is this just the content the masses crave, and since corporations NEED money, the masses ultimately ruin everything? Even Windows 11 is Yahoo!ified with apps on the start bar and in the games that were for the longest time free.
TIL, according to web browsing habits and algorithms, @Ubiquitin is interested in: Who is a celebrated famous person where everyone universally ignores the fact that they’re factually a giant POS? My ex says I’m ugly and that he he’s embarrassed to call me his ex AITA for giving up and hiring a nanny even though my wife doesn't work? Mr. Beast, Shorts, and Reaction videos
Music (both harmonically and lyrically) and Hollywood movie plots/scripts have also gone this way. Political discourse has gone this way. Education is moving this way, if it's not there yet (I'm in my 30's, no kids yet). Why? Social media and the idea that everyone's opinions are valid and everyone has something to offer has resulted in golden age of algorithmically carpet bombing all of us with dunning-kruger meets extreme capitalism. All media sources are a race of who can create the dumbest content that appeals to the most. We democratized stupid. This is why a piece of me always dies when people say "I do my own research" or "I don't follow mainstream media". Generally they mean, with great pride!, that they follow their favorite idiot on Youtube or Twitter instead of watching their favorite idiot on network TV.
You're just now noticing this?? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Internet_theory This started as a joke but is sadly becoming more and more relevant. I also work directly in tech. The downward spiral I've personally seen/witnessed will only be accelerating now, especially with LLMs improving and not needing to hire rooms of people to artifically inflate numbers. I've seen some incredible bots I've been testing/using at work that actually impress me and worry me at the same time. When I'm logged in my stuff is heavy science/medical (like 1st release/peer review)/tech/engineer/stocks etc of course music/movies, but I also live a very private life on purpose because I know the profiles we're building on people that most people don't even realize. Anyway, if I'm logged out = continuation of downward trend = Idiocracy. I also will still do my own searches and try to be very careful on confirmation bias but it's sadly becoming harder and harder, don't get me started on chatgpt... Like post above mine, is absolutely right, when I say I do my own research it means I actually read original research papers. I have tried to stop using that phrase because it's ruined now. Instead when meeting people with medical background/real medical Dr, I say I read these 3 peer reviews/journals, what are your opinions on this topic (especially if it's their specialty)? If you use the phrase "I do my own research", it equals I Watched some yt/insta/tok trash and you suddenly think you're in the know/smart. My biggest concerns as I grow older is not only not having enough time to keep up with everything, but also not being able to spread/share these skills with enough people.
Reddit and Instagram completely morphed into their current states over the Summer. But I wholly subscribe to the Dead Internet Theory and generative LLMs are going to consume each other until the entire internet is dead. Which is in a few years, or less.
I've done my own research and come to the conclusion that since I've never used either site I don't really care
My wife has been claiming for a few years that there will be a social media reckoning, where people will rebel en masse and stop using it. I used to think that was nuts. Now, I think she's spot on, and I think it's coming in the next 5-10 years. I hope so, too, because then my kids will miss it all.
Is YouTube considered social media? Their algorhythms are always spot on for me. I mostly get suggestions for live music clips, isolated guitar/drum tracks, POV chef/cook videos, or 10 hour videos that are supposed to help you go to sleep. For some reason, any time I open up Facebook, I'm bombarded with Taylor Swift reels. I've never searched for her on Google or any SM platform. I thought maybe Facebook was sponsoring her tour or something?
It's a catch 22. if you don't sign in, you get this buzzfeed click bait content...everywhere. if you sign in, they are profiling you and you end up in an echo chamber. I have to be careful to click on a variety of things so I get quality random stuff suggested to me. But i agree 100%, the surface level internet is just total crap. that's why for most things I end up adding "reddit" or a forum I use to find the answers/suggestions. otherwise you end up with generic blogs with "top 5 ways to fix your wireless network issues".
I agree, except that capitalism is in its purest form is an aggregate of human behavior. Whatever faults people ascribe to capitalism is at the source the fault of the people represented.
