Your lifestream story is terrifying. The ambition for people to pretend to have followers, pretend to be popular, and to live a lie is saddening and worrying. It's a scam that goes beyond the financial gains. It's a personality scam; it's a trust scam; it's a spiritual scam.
I've seen similar videos, I think the term is "webinar". I've watched a couple out of curiousity. They always talk at a million miles an hour, with grammatically correct sentences, except they discuss nothing, and impart no information.
They use loosely appropriate adjectives to describe vague concepts, and throw around terminology relevant to the video premise (e.g. making money, learning pottery, etc) but in no way actually discussing anything particular about it.
The closest parallel I've seen is in sports commentary or political speech, wherein a segment of time needs to be filled, but there can't be progression or development in the conversation because there's no substance from which to speak. The result is discourse with an aim only to make noise for its own sake.
This is an interesting comparison of The Dead Internet Theory to Avatar The Last Airbender, I loved that show growing up (and still do). I particularly liked the line "In experience, it’s not so much a hypothesis as a state which all online communities exist in to varying degrees at all times."
I've had similar opinions on algorithms, that they aren't just some passive experience, and believe this should be considered by more people. I've had the opinion that social media platforms should be help accountable to some degree for the content they promote and suggest through their suggestion algorithms.
Coincidentally, I also wrote about The Dead Internet Theory in January, if you have the time I'd like to hear what you think of it.
This is awesome and totally true. Very few people really do interact in internet. Must are just spectators. So mutual of the comments and likes and shit come from bots
This article changed my life. It instantly cured my internet addiction. You posted this on Reddit, and because of you / this article I decided to sign up for substack. Thank you. Please never stop!
Fascinating yet so scary, living in an artificial world with no configuration and living activities, you're only on your own in this entirety ecosystem behind the screen, nobody see you, talk to you, everything you see is fake regardless how social they are
This was a thought-provoking read that captures a quiet truth many feel but rarely articulate—so much of what we experience online feels hollow, curated, or automated. As digital spaces expand, our sense of what’s “real” becomes harder to anchor. It’s a reminder that authenticity isn’t just a feature—it’s a necessity for meaningful connection. In a world flooded with algorithms, sometimes the most radical thing we can do is to be fully human—present, intentional, and real.
The post wouldn't be so brilliant if it was not brought to me by the Substack algorithm. That makes me wonder if the algorithm is intrinsically evil, and also if this comment has been written by the bot.
Your lifestream story is terrifying. The ambition for people to pretend to have followers, pretend to be popular, and to live a lie is saddening and worrying. It's a scam that goes beyond the financial gains. It's a personality scam; it's a trust scam; it's a spiritual scam.
May we find our way to reconnect as humans.
I've seen similar videos, I think the term is "webinar". I've watched a couple out of curiousity. They always talk at a million miles an hour, with grammatically correct sentences, except they discuss nothing, and impart no information.
They use loosely appropriate adjectives to describe vague concepts, and throw around terminology relevant to the video premise (e.g. making money, learning pottery, etc) but in no way actually discussing anything particular about it.
The closest parallel I've seen is in sports commentary or political speech, wherein a segment of time needs to be filled, but there can't be progression or development in the conversation because there's no substance from which to speak. The result is discourse with an aim only to make noise for its own sake.
This is an interesting comparison of The Dead Internet Theory to Avatar The Last Airbender, I loved that show growing up (and still do). I particularly liked the line "In experience, it’s not so much a hypothesis as a state which all online communities exist in to varying degrees at all times."
I've had similar opinions on algorithms, that they aren't just some passive experience, and believe this should be considered by more people. I've had the opinion that social media platforms should be help accountable to some degree for the content they promote and suggest through their suggestion algorithms.
Coincidentally, I also wrote about The Dead Internet Theory in January, if you have the time I'd like to hear what you think of it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/cyberphilosophy/p/the-impending-solipsism-of-the-internet?r=1r9ccy&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
This is awesome and totally true. Very few people really do interact in internet. Must are just spectators. So mutual of the comments and likes and shit come from bots
"A fake outrage presented by the algorithm ... a malicious being that desires to add you to its collection."
... r i g h t .
This article changed my life. It instantly cured my internet addiction. You posted this on Reddit, and because of you / this article I decided to sign up for substack. Thank you. Please never stop!
The way algorithms shape our reactions is unsettling, turning us into unwitting players in a fake narrative.
Fascinating yet so scary, living in an artificial world with no configuration and living activities, you're only on your own in this entirety ecosystem behind the screen, nobody see you, talk to you, everything you see is fake regardless how social they are
I love the image
Very though provoking read, thanks!!
"Ohh, but not my feed. My feed is just my personally curated interests that I engage with sparingly." - Faceless Person
Faceless men and the Thousand faced god -- Game of thrones (Valar Morghulis)
In the beginning of your text about a livestream, I thought you were gonna talk about red rooms.
https://substack.com/@artistwritersurvivor/note/c-126673935?r=5kho0&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
This was a thought-provoking read that captures a quiet truth many feel but rarely articulate—so much of what we experience online feels hollow, curated, or automated. As digital spaces expand, our sense of what’s “real” becomes harder to anchor. It’s a reminder that authenticity isn’t just a feature—it’s a necessity for meaningful connection. In a world flooded with algorithms, sometimes the most radical thing we can do is to be fully human—present, intentional, and real.
The post wouldn't be so brilliant if it was not brought to me by the Substack algorithm. That makes me wonder if the algorithm is intrinsically evil, and also if this comment has been written by the bot.
I liked your post. I don’t think I’m a bot?
Altho, how do I believe this post is not by a bot?