Venting "Dead Internet Theory is a Controversial Suggestion That definitely is not real and didn't happen these last few years"

[CeaseExist]

"The dead internet theory essentially claims that activity and content on the internet, including social media accounts, are predominantly being created and ..." ;
"The Dead Internet Theory is the belief that the vast majority of internet traffic, posts and users have been replaced by bots and AI-generated content..." ;
"The dead internet theory is a controversial concept that suggests most online content and interactions are generated by bots and algorithms..." ;
​

And on and on and on and on...you get the gist right? You browse through the web, use plethora of ways to actually find anything resembling real human interaction. You think to yourself - "Well, someone already HAD to have the same thoughts about current state of our dead internet, so AT LEAST one topic, maybe on reddit, maybe some journalist article, maybe even some research done lately showing how much traffic is actually bots, divulging on how much of our experience on social media is tailored by some god-forsaken algorithms, how search engines stopped working properly to the point of not being able to search up very simple things effectively.

Nothing, nada. Of course we can all assume that it's logical there is nothing, after all to find it we use tools provided to us by the same entities that create the effect in the first place right? if that is true, then this is very ominous, that they are able to perfectly block anything not approved by "them", no leaks, no nothing, pretty scary.

Overall I also wanted to point out the experience probably most of us had and have right now, when you type out something random into the search, and...you get nothing, there are results, links and all, but nothing connecting to what you typed, not even in the slightest. Coming back to memories of my first searches through the web, there was always something interesting to do, to find, and no matter what you typed in the search bar, you could be sure as hell there would be something connected to it in the results, like one time I found real life assassins order that I joined in on, pretty rad days not gonna lie.

Currently I am pretty pissed, and needed to vent a bit about how the internet experience went to shit pretty fast lately, the last few months made it seem like internet got completely wiped, sanitized to insane levels where you will find NOTHING that goes out of some AT THE TOP agenda of some kind. Even ChatGPT few months back was easy to deal with, you could even write some smut with it's help, analyze stuff like WW2 history and snippets, facts of it omitted by mainstream knowledge, while today you can't even mention anything or else you get blocked out, use even one word like "despise" and gpt straight up refuses to work for you, just an example.

So yeah, internet is cut off dead, with only few bastions remaining like here, where I wonder how long it will take for this site to get turned into same social hellscape. Also don't mention onions, that shit is only full of CP and scams, nothing else if you don't want to sit and dig for few days straight. At least in my experience, maybe some of you got more lucky, don't know. Oh and 4chan is...well 4chan.

OKAY, so I've actually strayed somewhat from what I wanted to tell first. I quoted the results of my search on anything regarding DIT, different wordings, phrasings, even using special signs which caused search to throw - "nothing but crickets here" or some other shit. It's APPALLING and INSANE that today you get A REAL TIME, LIVE evidence that internet, in fact, IS DEAD and it's in a form of some AI generated "journalist" sites that use words like "theory", "Suggests", "Conspiracy", "controversial" and all that "It's not real!" lingo...Yeah right, the only thing that is controversial here is your own existence you filthy bot. Now I kinda start vibing with this one guy suggesting Internet 3.0 whoever the guy was.

It is really frustrating that you can't interact with humans on the internet anymore, not in a way it was done years ago and on a different scale - just like now I post this shitty thread throwing out my own thoughts at people I don't know...Ahh nostalgia. At this point the whole narrative is held so tight, that the contrast when you see real people on the internet is jarring, like on some youtube comments before they get bombed or drown out by bot swarms, you can see for a brief moment that other people, in fact, do think like you (in some ways, not literally, like overall common sense type of thing)

I don't have any ending point here, no moral of the story or anything, just wanted to throw this out of me, and maybe ask you about your thoughts on the matter, because I sure do wonder where it is all going and how it will evolve or, just end.

peace

 

[Saturn_]

The bots are only half of my problem at this point. It feels as if even the actual discussions with other humans on social media are "dead," too. I feel as if this slow death of information and usefulness is part of a conspiracy to keep us scrolling and stupid. Why make new websites and try your hand at anything complicated when you already know where to find instant gratification? Right? Right? Come on, you know you want to profile yourself more for an uptick in our company's quarterly profit! Just give up! Stop questioning and searching! You know you want to!

It's also just so awful to have to append your search queries with "Reddit" to find anything of value, because Reddit is markedly inferior to the forums like a lot of the vBulletin boards we had back in the day. Reddit could never, ever dream to compete with forums. It's far too casual, far too pandering to the lowest common denominator. Everything is welcomed, of varying levels of inaccuracy and stupidity, because gatekeeping is mean and would hurt people's feelings. Questions and conversations from passionate hobbyists frowned upon and replaced by selfies, haphazard spam and proclamations that the original poster "just bought [thing XYZ]!" It's brushed aside as "not harming anyone," but it's insidious. All it serves to do is clog the Internet with meaningless and disposable content, all so that it gives OP a selfish ego boost.

Another "harmless" trend I have become incredibly concerned with is young people's obsession with "humor," which extends to anti-intellectualism and the unfounded handwaving-away of any idea that challenges the status quo. Stupidity and narrow-mindedness are now openly rewarded with likes and laughs because they are "funny" and "cool." A lot of the time, these people aren't even genuinely funny, and just repeat the same epic bacon memes you'll hear from everyone else. "This happened to my buddy Eric. Bro is frfr cappin. It's not that deep. Yall trippin ong. Isn't it crazy how black people be doing X, but white people be doing Y? And that's tea... but we aren't ready for that conversation." Over and over and over and fucking over again. Cross the world and back, it's all the same. I haven't used social media in over a year, and it feels as if I can immediately clock which social media a person uses and guess their entire worldview based on their idiosyncracies, because they're all shared. At the core of each and every social media "archetype" is narrow-mindedness, animosity, and a disregard for information in favor of sensationalism. When I talk to some people now, and they word something in a specific, "online" way... I can just immediately and safely assume "...Ah. This person is going to start yelling about media literacy and gaslighting, any second now. This person is going to inundate me with gossip about 'problematic content creators', and they are going to describe to me a worldview which has been shaped by Twitter callouts and 40-minute YouTube video 'essays'. They are going to inundate me with talks of aesthetics, cores, corecores and corecorecores."

You could get on my case for jumping to conclusions, and I'd get on my own case too. But the thing is that I can't think of a single instance where my intuition wasn't right. Everyone is propagandized and distracted by arguments that are designed to be outrageous and unwinnable. Everyone's too obsessed with being the class clown. Young people, on average, pour 8 hours a day into this brain poison, and none of us are creating anything new. Why take risks when we already know the right words to say? I feel like VERY few people outside of here ever say anything new anymore. I just want to get away from this sick society. It's not just the Internet anymore. It's as if, by and large, the world just died. Everything is scrolling and engagement and money and ragebait. It's rotten to the core.

I, like you, have a lot of nostalgia for the Internet of bygone times. As resistance to brainrot and information death, I started data hoarding and collecting pieces of the Internet, so that they'd always be in my hands. So that I could always have tangible proof that happier and more fulfilling times existed, and go back to them every once in a while. My newest little obsession is collecting Flash games. Have you ever tried using Kagi or Marginalia to find something that isn't a dead Internet theory listicle? Kagi is paid, but you get 50 free searches to start with before you make a decision. Marginalia is free. You might find something worthwhile there.

 

[Pluto]

 

[EvisceratedJester]

 

[CeaseExist]

Another "harmless" trend I have become incredibly concerned with is young people's obsession with "humor," which extends to anti-intellectualism and the unfounded handwaving-away of any idea that challenges the status quo. Stupidity and narrow-mindedness are now openly rewarded with likes and laughs because they are "funny" and "cool."

It really started from some harmless abstract fun, where even if you are intellectual you could partake in all the "fun", yet it evolved into the disaster we can all call "brainrot" right now, and people caught up in it are even calling it that and being proud from engaging with it...such is the way of life?

That's also a huge problem I have with internet today. Back in the day people really engaged on forums and even damn reddit, in discourses that had value, meaning. Now it's all smoke and mirrors and when someone is having "intellectual take" on something, it is most likely some bot, because by all that is holy, you can see the uncanny valley wording and phrasing they use, and when you engage with actual human that is having "intellectual take" you will quickly realize they are most probably some delusional person suffering from schizoid disorder.

The rest of interactions, at least for me, showed me how much intelligence is frowned upon, when you try to open discussion about anything as I did on reddit or facebook groups few years back, it was met with lack of engagement and some one-sentence comments. If by some miracle you gain traction on these hellish platforms, there will be a lot of "hate", negating responses, and the whole topic will derail into the same meaningless throwing of some conditioned phrases and platitudes. Truly, the pinnacle of internet experience.

I think it boils down mostly to the fact that people with more mindful and analytical etc. nature just stopped using any social media, the same way we give up, sooner or later, the others we don't know are also retreating, so basically current situation with internet rendered it completely hostile and erased the ability to find likeminded individuals - It's crazy how all of this is happening simply as just consequence of only few factors.

I, like you, have a lot of nostalgia for the Internet of bygone times. As resistance to brainrot and information death, I started data hoarding and collecting pieces of the Internet, so that they'd always be in my hands. So that I could always have tangible proof that happier and more fulfilling times existed, and go back to them every once in a while. My newest little obsession is collecting Flash games. Have you ever tried using Kagi or Marginalia to find something that isn't a dead Internet theory listicle? Kagi is paid, but you get 50 free searches to start with before you make a decision. Marginalia is free. You might find something worthwhile there.

At first glance I've read "I like you..." and it made me blush...you sure you don't like me?

Thanks for the Kagi and Marginalia suggestions, I wasn't even aware of those. I will definitely use those

 

[Saturn_]

It really started from some harmless abstract fun, where even if you are intellectual you could partake in all the "fun", yet it evolved into the disaster we can all call "brainrot" right now, and people caught up in it are even calling it that and being proud from engaging with it...such is the way of life?

That's also a huge problem I have with internet today. Back in the day people really engaged on forums and even damn reddit, in discourses that had value, meaning. Now it's all smoke and mirrors and when someone is having "intellectual take" on something, it is most likely some bot, because by all that is holy, you can see the uncanny valley wording and phrasing they use, and when you engage with actual human that is having "intellectual take" you will quickly realize they are most probably some delusional person suffering from schizoid disorder.

The rest of interactions, at least for me, showed me how much intelligence is frowned upon, when you try to open discussion about anything as I did on reddit or facebook groups few years back, it was met with lack of engagement and some one-sentence comments. If by some miracle you gain traction on these hellish platforms, there will be a lot of "hate", negating responses, and the whole topic will derail into the same meaningless throwing of some conditioned phrases and platitudes. Truly, the pinnacle of internet experience.

I think it boils down mostly to the fact that people with more mindful and analytical etc. nature just stopped using any social media, the same way we give up, sooner or later, the others we don't know are also retreating, so basically current situation with internet rendered it completely hostile and erased the ability to find likeminded individuals - It's crazy how all of this is happening simply as just consequence of only few factors.

I think the Internet becoming so integral to reality in the past few years is to blame for this. Now, I'd hate to use the word "normie," but I feel that ever since every average person and their grandma started living online, they have carried along and subsequently entwined their arbitrary social norms with internet communication. This is why dumb, "brainrot" entertainment and memes (including AI bullshit) are everywhere, because the lowest common denominator can always be relied on to consume and propagate them. There came into being an unwritten and ambient expectation that internet conversations have the same consequences as their real life counterparts. It's no longer a third space where social conventions may or may not apply. They don't call it social media for nothing. Writing down paragraphs of your most serious and unabashed thoughts online nowadays could be likened to overdressing in public -- they both imply you care "too much," or at least more than everyone else in the room. Because of this, both of these actions have inherent vulnerability. It's far easier and more relatable to make fun of someone who stands out rather than fits in. There have always been trolls, but I think what's been happening in recent years is far worse. It's a growing cultural attitude rather than just a few jaded losers online.

I do, however, think there is hope that social media will die. I think that more and more people will become fed up over time, like you and I have, and move onto greener pastures. After all, the Internet's worst kept secret is its newfound uselessness. Studies have also been conducted on the effectiveness of internet ads, and the results of these studies suggest that a majority of people nowadays only click on them by accident. Back in the 90s and 2000s, they were much more effective. But corporations became greedier, and we've become more resistant and cynical in response. These social media monoliths profiteer off of delivering ads to eyeballs, so I would just recommend using an adblocker whenever humanly possible (there are adblockers for Safari, too.) Maybe that's the only way things will go back to normal.

 

[CeaseExist]

I think the Internet becoming so integral to reality in the past few years is to blame for this. Now, I'd hate to use the word "normie," but I feel that ever since every average person and their grandma started living online, they have carried along and subsequently entwined their arbitrary social norms with internet communication. This is why dumb, "brainrot" entertainment and memes (including AI bullshit) are everywhere, because the lowest common denominator can always be relied on to consume and propagate them. There came into being an unwritten and ambient expectation that internet conversations have the same consequences as their real life counterparts. It's no longer a third space where social conventions may or may not apply. They don't call it social media for nothing. Writing down paragraphs of your most serious and unabashed thoughts online nowadays could be likened to overdressing in public -- they both imply you care "too much," or at least more than everyone else in the room. Because of this, both of these actions have inherent vulnerability. It's far easier and more relatable to make fun of someone who stands out rather than fits in. There have always been trolls, but I think what's been happening in recent years is far worse. It's a growing cultural attitude rather than just a few jaded losers online.

I do, however, think there is hope that social media will die. I think that more and more people will become fed up over time, like you and I have, and move onto greener pastures. After all, the Internet's worst kept secret is its newfound uselessness. Studies have also been conducted on the effectiveness of internet ads, and the results of these studies suggest that a majority of people nowadays only click on them by accident. Back in the 90s and 2000s, they were much more effective. But corporations became greedier, and we've become more resistant and cynical in response. These social media monoliths profiteer off of delivering ads to eyeballs, so I would just recommend using an adblocker whenever humanly possible (there are adblockers for Safari, too.) Maybe that's the only way things will go back to normal.

that's actually something I forget about a lot, that there is something driving this madness, and of course it is MONEY. I will admit there is hope when you put dynamic of profit in this perspective, the only questions forming for me is whether it will die out, or evolve into something even worse - but it's just food for thought, not trying to play oracle here.

Another thing that makes we wonder is the WHEN of it all. How long will corpo-rats be able to convince all of their investors that these tactics work, that their expensive ads bring in as much profit as they paint it, and if info from disgruntled former employees is to be believed, they are convincing them with views per ads...You really got to be a fool to pay this much money for elementary grade data manipulation.

ALSO, regarding the overall change of culture and whole being of the internet, that the entity as we know it ceased to exist - Yes, the migrating masses, the accessibility of it all even for the lowest denominators caused the shift, of course it was gradual, first came the masses, then people who live by "Hmm, I CAN EXPLOIT THAT!" their whole lives, and then finally the old guard, all those entrepreneurs, the big sharks, and the whole cauldron of corrosive mix was finally formed. Of course it's not a very stable/sustainable structure, which we can see in it's final stages gets bloated beyond any reason: Bots, shillers, Tailored content, algorithms and yada yada yada. I really want to hope that it will sooner than later pop, and internet will return to it's former, fragmented neutral state, without anyone dictating what you can and what you can't, no one to censor shit and force the content you get. On the side note: I love how overall software products changed completely from "User is king, customization is key, if someone is using our product they know what they are doing" to "Here, let me hold your hand, and literally give you zero customization options and do everything for you! (you dumb ape GIVE US MONEY)" I really really love the change.

And finally, yup. I remember to this day, how many WEIRD people I've met online, how many different takes on different topics, how much of INTIMACY was when exchanging with people on some forums. People were insulting each other, were crying, were happy, someone was trolling - there was such a vibrant mix of different communities, some with sticks up their asses and constant moderation of some cringelord, some were open free-for-all battlegrounds which produced the most human interactions I ever had on the web.

Today, the social contract, the behaviors, the NORMS got transferred into the web itself. Instead of the net being this other space as you mentioned, with it's own quirks and culture, they more or less FORCED culture of society upon internet, which is HORRIBLE of course, and I don't really know if it's the cause or maybe another symptom of people NOT understanding that INTERNET ≠ REAL LIFE - Although people don't understand a lot more things, and certainly less complicated than internet so the answer should be simple, yet leaving bad taste in mouth, especially when you think to yourself "Are these my brothers and sisters?".

Gotta say, I've got really drained, these topics although nice and fun to talk about, especially to throw it out and not let the frustrations linger, are very taxing mentally, maybe because of how much negativity weighs on them? Who knows.

Glad to have a good discours Saturn_, if I could would take you out for coffee, if only to just discuss misery of it all.
Oh yeah, I will probably start another useless thread pretty soon, about humanity "half-assing" everything they do and it's consequences as well as overall analysis, of course done by yours truly retarded me.

- Don't ask me for sources, The source is always "because I said so"

 

[noname223]

Very interesting thread with insightful thoughts.