The internet is in a precarious place. It is being assaulted from all sides, not by technological problems, but by social ones. Misinformation is rife, marketing and advertising cover every facet of the web, and armies of politicized and automated bots roam the wilds of its social media landscapes.
All of these are filtered down to users through carefully curated algorithmic posts designed to induce endorphin kicks and keep them on their platform of choice. For many of us looking back 10 or 20 years, the internet looked radically different. The social media platforms, the communities, the gaming landscape, the knowledge and accessibility, the shopping all felt different.
Companies like Spotify, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, and Uber revolutionized their fields with remarkable, market-upsetting ideas that drew in masses of customers with awesome features and affordable pricing. Yet over time, those same features and costs have gotten predominantly worse for the average consumer, as the companies prioritize greater margins over their founding ideals. Educational tools and access to information are equally falling apart.
So much of the information out there has now been muddied and diluted by countless short videos spewing falsehoods from anyone with a phone. It is increasingly difficult to identify what is real and what is not, what is true fact and what is not. Platforms continually adjust their search algorithms to promote accurate information over AI-regurgitated content and misinformation.
We are in a world where social media personalities dictate whether your facts and statements are taken as truth. We saw it during COVID, the US elections, the war in Ukraine, and various other significant events. The impact of misinformation is arguably getting worse.
Misinformation’s dangerous impact on society
The problem started with social media, where algorithms deliver curated content rather than showing you a historical timeline of those you follow. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter all of them feed you content based on your likes and dislikes to keep you on the platform and consume more ads.
This has effectively stifled creative debate, as users are fed more and more of the same content, reinforcing their existing beliefs. This has led to an increase in extremist views and a lack of meaningful conversation and discussion. Despite these issues, there is still hope.
The amount of good that has come out of the internet since its conception is still far greater than the net negatives. Scientific breakthroughs, discoveries, health conditions cured, and humanitarian aid organized all accelerated by the internet often go unnoticed. The internet remains integral to modern society’s infrastructure, relationships, and communication.
Fixing these issues is not as simple as slapping a band-aid on them. The World Wide Web is global, and improving its current state requires collective effort. We need a regulatory body for the internet with smart minds behind it, looking at monopolization and pushing for legislative changes, predicting future patterns, and reacting quickly.
Education is also crucial. Beyond basic computer literacy, there needs to be a push for users of all ages to learn how to identify fake posts, fact-check statements, find multiple sources, and understand the legality behind online behavior. Learning new critical skills as a global society is hard but necessary.
This is not the first time we have faced technological turmoil, nor will it be the last. With collective will and innovative thinking, we can navigate these challenges and continue to harness the positive potential of the internet.
