This is something fairly gaming adjacent to me, but one thing I'm so sick of is how fake and contrived so much of the internet is today. Compared to even 5 or 6 years ago, it's so hard to find genuine gaming content or discussion. Everything is either sponsored, an ad, clickbait, hot takes, rage bait, AI generated, or bots. I know there are still some genuine people and places to discuss gaming (this site is one of them), but it's getting discouraging on pretty much all mainstream sites like Reddit, Facebook, and Youtube. I hate how I have to second guess if I'm interacting with a bot now, and even if I'm not, so many people just talk and act the same way online now. It's awful. And then when it comes to finding new youtube videos, Youtube will recommend to me the same ultra clickbaity, contrived sponsored video essay 3 times before it actually recommends me some newer video from a smaller youtuber who genuinely just wants to talk about his favorite Resident Evil or SHMUP games. Again, I can still find this stuff, but it's getting more and more rare and difficult.
I know this stuff is happening more and more, but part of me also feels like maybe I'm just outgrowing the social aspect of the internet. I do genuinely like to discuss gaming with people online and in person, but maybe I just have a lower tolerance for people parroting the same opinions or saying some stupid BS just to drum up outrage, and therefore engagement.
I miss the old and also the not so old internet so badly. I know it wasn't perfect and was filled with its own problems, trolls, bad actors, and other unsavory characters, but at least it felt mostly genuine and authentic. Everything online just feels so fake now. I'm so grateful that small forums like this still exist even though they've become an endangered species thanks to social media.
I agree with you 100%.
I don’t think it’s you outgrowing the internet. I think it’s all the bullshit has made it so unsavory that we crave real people. We just want something that is real and not just generated for clicks. Social media made people curate their online appearance just so they could get some likes. Your friends weren’t sharing their real life with you, and you weren’t with them.
It’s rough when the “realest” thing on the internet is porn.
Man.. this convo has made me feel less alone. I am only 29 but feel 75 with how drastically and recently the world has shifted from this simple, wholesome, creative eutopia I grew up with. To this instant gratification pit. It has effected all forms of media. Even things that arent AI. Are short form trendy content. Instead of having 1000 good bands. You get the same 5 pop artists replayed in a paid for loop. It's all algorithms, ads. If they can sap a dollar out of you they will.
Online gambling for kids? Go for it. AI women, AI movies, AI Dances.
Back then YouTube was the wild west. Anyone could be the next wave. It was silly stuff. Homemade people doing homemade things. Now it's all pay to play. There is nothing we do that doesn't have a lobby, investor or forced ad placed within it. Repetition.
Like songs. Back in the day it was word of mouth. "Hey Nirvanna is dope. Check this out" now it's whatever artist pays the most to be pushed onto every tik tok reel you watch. Until it gets forced into your head instead of wishfully wanted by the consumer.
I think people are consuming so much AI especially children that they begin to also act and talk artificially. Sometimes the AI is so good I can't tell whats what and become over simulated.
Hearing people say "should I do _____ chat" or "drop a like if I should put my nads in the fan blade chat 677777777" like its all gone too far. All of it. And It's time to fight AI taking human work with our dollars. I will not support any company especially game studios who dare attempt it. I pay artists for art. Not robots.
Not to get grim. There are companies that make trillions with a T off the success of AI. Its a big silicon valley love darling that they are sinking a lot of capital into. It means they dont have to pay as much and profit double. Alphabet inc., Nvidia, microsoft, Netflix and meta. All not only push this agenda all over the world geo politically. They know a world where we mindlessly cycle curated fake content behind paywalls is infinitely profitable with lower overhead than paying real artists or creators to do the same thing but slower.
I also agree that reddit is just not natural. It's why I love VG Collect so much. Talking to people here feels more like those old blockbuster video convos. It's simpler times. Nobody is karma farming or talking about incest. It's just what the online footprint used to look like.
The way things are going.. with replika and other avenues. Even porn and even real life companionship is gonna be AI too. Their are guys paying big money for AI wives now. The human element is gone. Im just gonna pretend it doesnt exist and just streamline how digital I exist.
But alas... we the final few! Merry christmas and happy new year folks
