Forums / Discussion / Serious Debate

Look, I've been online pretty consistently for 1-2 decades and have, by this point, become so thoroughly sick of the whole damnable network that I've been praying for it's demise. As per Rule 20, I've stopped taking the internet or it's contents seriously, not really caring if I get banned from one of the zillion samey online communities I've signed up for. The worst part? I keep coming back because There is NOTHING to do offline anymore, the internet killed it all. Entertainment is "content" now, meaning the algorithm streamlined entertainment down so that every song, movie, video game, book, etc looks and sound pretty much like every other song, movie, video game, book etc. ESPECIALLY coming from a major studio (although I am giving the side-eye to all those samey indie games with "8-bit" graphics). All the cars look the same because every manufacturer uses the same damn wind tunnel test. Malls are dead, bookstores are dying. Everything's made to get you in, "satisfied", out and back to the fucking internet. Which, by the way, Is all starting to look the same, too. Look, knock "Boomers" all you want, but at least their shit was ECLECTIC. Meanwhile the internet's still making memes out of a 30 year old show. One that's still on the air churning out new episodes, by the way…

And yeah, I know, "Abe Simpson shaking his fist at the cloud" or that badly animated music video by that Moby guy, but shit, give me SOMETHING fun that's offline anti-tech and hasn't been streamlined down to oblivion by some stupid algorithm.

Y'know that Twilight Zone episode where the main character dies, goes to the casino and keeps winning? It's great at first, but after a while he starts to get sick of it so his supposed "guardian angel" offers to make it so that he loses once in a while. The guy refuses, saying it'll still be boring because he'll know what's up. So then the guy starts-getting a little stir-crazy asking if he could go back to earth, fearing that he'll go insane if he stays in heaven any longer. His host replies "What makes you think you're in heaven?".

TL;DR Sick of the internet but the internet turned it's alternatives into boring, homogenized suckfests.

I'm not entirely certain I know what you're trying to describe but there are a great many opportunities for things to do that don't necessarily involve internet, which could bring a level of inner satisfaction in real life. Have you considered joining any local clubs to indulge in activities such as board games or card games? Perhaps you want something more, so does fishing or hiking fancy your interests? Maybe you'd want to be near home, and in that case have you any personal hobbies of interest that you can engage in? (E.g. wood crafting, painting, crochet, gardening, etc.)

I realize internet and media are big factors in most lives but you have to put in the effort to find something that stands out from the specific subjects you've described to have a problem with and then roll with it for a while. That might require having to do a little bit of research to discover something you had no knowledge about that might present that inner satisfaction. For me personally, I get my fill of fun by heading out to practice at the shooting range every few months. Another thing I love to do is outdoor photography, experimenting with different types of lens and seeing what works. Sure, these things aren't a part of my daily routine, but it's enough to keep me distracted from the problems to rejuvenate my positive energy.

That being said, I hope this helps give you some ideas to consider. The only other recommendation I'd give is it might be wise to take a break from non-essential internet. I don't think there's many people who can be consistently online for 1-2 decades and not feel burnt out from it.

I myself suffer from years of massive internet burnout, but not horribly so. Even the things I have unquestionable love for can feel old and tired after a while and I find myself stepping away from them for a bit, tho I don't lose my enjoyment when I eventually come back to them.
Good thing the one big personal interest I have benefits from but doesn't necessarily have to involve me using the internet. Even tho I definitely spend WAY more time on the electronics than I should, I could probably tune them out for a whole day (in fact, I'll try that more often). Plus exercising, doing all sorts of physical activity and just spending lots of time outdoors in general feels nice and really helps me from going coo-coo. Visiting places around the area that you either rarely or even never have gone to before is the best, especially on a bike. I really just enjoy looking at plain ol' nature. I've also been hankering to find and read more older and/or eyecatching books for some time.
Given how most people here tend to be rather cynical towards everything, I seriously hope I don't end up like that down the line. I'm already a fair bit jaded, but the "constantly tired, grumpy and easily irritated old man" phase I went through in the past was NOT a fun part of my life and I want it to stay behind me.