Full Width [alt+shift+f] Shortcuts [alt+shift+k]
Sign Up [alt+shift+s] Log In [alt+shift+l]
29
The internet was supposed to unite us. So what the fuck happened? And how did we become a cross-generational digital nation of assholes? We dreamed of a global, decentralized network spreading information, enabling communication, and connecting humanity. But somewhere along the way, it divided us. Our online spaces, overrun with tribalism, misinformation, harassment, and cruelty, often bring out the worst in human nature. Much of the blame lies in how our dominant online platforms are built. Social media, discussion forums, and comment sections are not neutral but purpose-driven products whose goals often work against healthy discourse. Consider anonymity, which shields users from accountability, enabling threats, propaganda, and mindless tribalism divorced from any ownership or consequence. Engagement-based algorithms promote controversial, emotive, and false content to maximize likes, shares, and ad revenue. Platforms allow misinformation to spread like wildfire, with manipulated media impersonating real people. Organized trolling campaigns operate openly, bombarding women, people of colour, and other marginalized groups with harassment yet facing few repercussions. Foreign influence operations deliberately spread propaganda to sow division. Conspiracy theories and partisan untruths proliferate unchecked, eroding our shared reality. Outrage, tribalism, cruelty — it’s all good for business. And so we have created online ecosystems that permit and actively incentivize our worst instincts. Environments perfectly designed to bring out trolls, grifters, demagogues, and white supremacists. But it’s not that simple. It’s not as simple as pointing at bogeymen and QAnon influencers. That’s passing the buck. The assholeification of the digital world is a movement we’ve all been a part of. Every single one of us. We’ve all felt and — at times, given into — the pull of being an asshole. We all became assholes...
3rd Nov 2023

Stay updated

Get a weekly newsletter with the top 5 articles worth reading every week.

More from Tech + Economics + Humans

Samsung Galaxy S24 Unpacked Event Set for Jan. 17

PCMag.com: The company says it will show off "the newest additions to the Galaxy mobile device portfolio." In its teaser video, the company goes a step further and explicitly states that "Galaxy AI is coming," so get ready for some form of on-device, Samsung-developed artificial intelligence. The tech industry's obsession with integrating AI into every possible device - including, apparently, the upcoming Galaxy S24 - appears more like a frantic race to capitalize on a popular buzzword rather than a pursuit of meaningful innovation. Samsung has previously unveiled a new generative AI suite, Samsung Gauss, which is expected to be the engine driving “Galaxy AI”. Named after mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, this suite is divided into three parts: Samsung Gauss Language, Samsung Gauss Code, and Samsung Gauss Image. Gauss Language focuses on tasks like drafting emails, summarizing documents, translations, and enabling smarter device control. Gauss Code includes a coding assistant, offering features such as code explanation and test case generation. Gauss Image is designed for generating creative images, making style edits, and converting low-resolution images to high-resolution. None of this is revolutionary; similar concepts have been rolling out on platforms from Canva to Github and are already available on phones like last year’s Pixel 8 Pro. While features such as on-device AI calculations, advanced AI-driven photography, and live translation sound impressive, I can’t help but wonder if they will genuinely enhance user experience in the long term or simply serve as flashy, superficial selling points. Are these LLM-driven features revolutionary or incremental updates masquerading as groundbreaking advancements?

3rd Jan 2024 42 votes
I hate work.

The piercing sound of my alarm shatters the stillness of my room at the ungodly hour of 5 AM, and I reluctantly drag myself out of bed. It’s the same daily grind, a routine I’ve been stuck in for years, first as a sound engineer, then as a tech exec, and now as an indie tech writer. I’m caught in this relentless cycle of early risings and late nights, all in the name of work. Sitting at my desk, surrounded by those peppy motivational quotes and never-ending to-do lists, I feel exhausted. It’s more than just tiredness; it’s a profound disconnect from what matters to me — spending quality time with my loved ones and looking after my mental and physical health. The relentless drive to be productive, to chase some nebulous idea of success, leaves me wondering where the f**k the joy in life has gone. This isn’t just burnout. It’s deeper than that. This statement may seem blasphemous in a society obsessed with hustle culture and endless motivation, but let me be honest — I loathe the act of working. I hate it. It doesn’t fulfil my purpose or ignite any passion within me. If given the choice, I would gladly banish it forever. Given the choice, I’d spend hours leisurely lounging by the pool, engrossed in Agatha Christie novels, sipping on ice-cold Diet Coke until noon. Our obsession with hustle culture, this idea that our self-worth is tied to how much we achieve, is suffocating. We’re pushed to flaunt our successes online, adding more pressure to this endless race. We end up sacrificing the things that matter — our relationships, hobbies, and well-being. We’ve been fed this narrative that success comes from constant hard work. So, we push ourselves through school and jobs, only to realize that the work world isn’t what we were promised. Instead of satisfaction, we’re left empty and stressed, chasing meaningless goals. I’ve seen friends get swallowed up by this culture. Working multiple jobs, juggling side gigs, with barely a moment to breathe. They’re worn out, teetering on the edge of burnout. And for what? To meet society’s expectations of success? What’s the point if it costs us everything? The idea of a work-life balance is a myth. It suggests that work should be as central to our lives as our passions, which is wrong. We’re made to feel guilty for taking breaks as if rest is a sign of laziness. The truth is this. Work is not my passion. And that’s okay. Not everyone will have a job they are truly passionate about. Even if they are, it’s not going to last necessarily. And that’s not to say that I hate my job — I am grateful that I get to write and tell stories. But it is not my purpose in life. It is simply a means to an end. I reject the idea that we must have a “purpose” in life. We are conditioned to believe we need a grand purpose or passion to drive us. What if our purpose is to live a happy and fulfilling life? What if our purpose is to spread kindness and love to those around us? We shouldn’t constantly be pressured to search for a deeper meaning or passion. Sometimes, just living in the moment and finding joy in the little things is enough. It’s time to stop equating productivity with non-stop busyness and start valuing our mental and physical well-being. We should engage in our passions and hobbies simply because they make us happy, not because they’re profitable. For me, it’s reading. Getting lost in a good book is my escape. But in a productivity-obsessed world, even reading for pleasure is often seen as a waste of time. I get that not everyone can afford not to work — God knows I can’t. My poolside mystery novel leisure-time is a fantasy right now. Too many of us have to work stupid hours to support ourselves and our families. But that’s exactly why we need to push back against the delusions of hustle culture and strive for a world where our lives aren’t defined by our jobs, where we can say — without shame — that we’d rather be back in bed. At least, that’s honesty.

4th Dec 2023 34 votes

More in startups

How to Handle Disruptive Change

As a business, how do you deal with disruption — technological or otherwise? Some patterns from a collection of case studies.

an hour ago 1 votes
Divorced from reality

Fundamentals will matter

6 days ago 2 votes
Tuesday

My breathing was a constant problem.

6 days ago 2 votes
Industry roundup #13

When "buy, don't build" stops applying to dev tools

a week ago 1 votes
AI, tools and transformation

It’s very tempting to imagine that AI turns everyone into a tool-builder - now everyone can just ask the model to make the software they need, and apps as we know them are dead. I think that misunderstands how most people think and where software actually comes from, and more importantly, it isn’t a path to change how companies actually work.

a week ago 2 votes
📚 BoredReading

You seem to be enjoying this.

Join free to unlock everything.

Create free account

Already have an account? Sign in