Please Let the Internet Die

The internet’s dominant platforms are portrayed as increasingly hostile, addictive spaces shaped by surveillance, billionaire ownership, weakened moderation, and algorithms that reward outrage. Generative AI has intensified the problem by flooding feeds with low-quality material, while bots and automated accounts make online activity feel less human. Drawing on technologist John West’s book, the piece argues that the internet is smaller and more fragile than its reputation suggests: networks can be disrupted, platforms disappear, and digital material is routinely lost or altered. Broken links in news stories, scholarly citations, and Wikipedia references show why the web cannot be trusted as a permanent archive or a stable foundation for shared truth.

West contrasts today’s commercialized, attention-driven web with more personal online communities, from GeoCities to Tumblr, many of which have faded or become corrupted. He sees the internet’s ephemerality as a reminder that what people want preserved may vanish, while unwanted remnants persist. The response he proposes is not to expect a sudden end to the internet, but to withdraw attention from platforms built around monetized engagement and explore less visible, noncommercial spaces where people create and share for their own reasons. The current system may be rotting, but its decline could nourish a more organic web. Whether enough people will invest in building that alternative remains uncertain.