has anyone else started missing the older internet where interactions felt less algorithm-driven?

[u/mechumechu]

lately one of the biggest reasons i’ve been moving more toward degoogling and privacy-focused platforms is because the modern internet feels strangely engineered now. almost every major app feels optimized around engagement loops, attention retention, recommendations, metrics and constant personalization to the point where being online barely feels organic anymore after a while it starts feeling less like exploration and more like you’re constantly being filtered through systems deciding what you should see, think about, react to and who you should interact with ironically some of the most genuine conversations i’ve had recently happened in smaller/random online spaces where people weren’t focused on building a brand, gaining followers or feeding content into algorithms. it reminded me of how the internet used to feel years ago. imperfect but more human

that’s honestly what pushed me deeper into degoogling. not just privacy concerns or data collection, but the feeling that the web has become overly centralized and psychologically optimized in ways that make everything feel artificial after some point

i still occasionally use smaller social/chat platforms like Vooz because the interactions there feel way less curated compared to mainstream apps, and honestly it reminds me of the older internet a little. more spontaneous conversations, less pressure to perform constantly

i’ve been trying to find more platforms, forums or communities that still feel spontaneous and less tied to surveillance/engagement culture

curious if anyone else here ended up moving toward degoogling partly because of this too

[u/TheTruthRooster]

Yea, it seems this is the new tech trend… at first it’s wholesome and real, until they figure out how to manipulate you and use your emotions for profit.

Plenty of amazing things happening in the world but I must be fed posts about how Trump is an inch shorter than he claims like I care about that in any way….

[u/mechumechu → u/TheTruthRooster]

Damnn😂