I Miss The Old Internet
I miss the old Internet. Honestly, I don't know where to start but there's this meme that goes something like this: "The internet used to be an escape from the real world. Now, the real world is an escape from the Internet." And I feel it's true.
When I first got the Internet, it felt like entering to a new world to explore. People had their own websites and forums where they could express themselves however they liked, sharing their hobbies and interests. I remember people who had their own websites for their art or a fandom and it was a huge inspiration for me. I always wanted to do something like that! But nowadays, many social media platforms requires you to show your real life, make videos and do content all the time, making it feel more like a job than a hobby.
I understand the Internet was never perfect. It always had problems. But it's strange that with more people online, it feels less personal. All websites seem like clones of each other and everything is temporary. It is harder to form meaningful relationships because it's too exhausting to do more than just press the like button. I also dislike how bots spam useless content and AI has made us question what is real anymore. I always imagined AI could make our lives easier, not stealing our self expression.
I know all of this is a common sentiment on Neocities, but I hope more people will be critical about social media and create their own spaces. Neocities feels so refreshing compared to other platforms. Browsing Neocities makes me inspired again. Exploring websites here feels similar to the old web. Of course, I still use modern social media too. Sometimes they are useful. But these days, I often feel that I rather read a book than scroll endlessly.
April 17th, 2024
