Needless to say, the internet has gone too far. Are you sick of it? Cause I am. Does it feel novel anymore? Does it feel fun anymore? Does it feel social… even?

I’ve been sitting on this prompt for the entire month. I’ll confess: I was born in 2003, so I cannot speak from personal experience. However, when I look at pop culture today (and what has had staying power), I cannot deny how so many roads lead back to culturally defining films, series and albums that hail from the 90s. I romanticize the 90s like there’s no tomorrow, and I think my fascination and yearning to live the way people seemed to in the 90s is because of where the internet, media and technology were at that time.

The internet, media, and technology didn’t feel so saturated and all-consuming. It felt like there was a way to keep things separate. The internet was its own thing and algorithms weren’t weaponized. It wasn’t robbing you of your attention, it wasn’t manipulating your data… and it wasn’t portable. It was an internet that increased your access but didn’t demand your attention. An internet that broadened your perspectives but didn’t force feed you information. A platform with promise.

Simply put, the internet and social media has provided us with access that is abundant, convenient, and efficient. But what’s equally amazing about this access is also overwhelming. The landscape is so saturated with endless information, entertainment, arguments, debates, and propaganda. It’s impossible to keep up and I personally feel numb and isolated when I spend too much time on it.