When it comes to the Internet there are basically two different versions of reality. There’s everything we think we know. All the websites and apps we’ve come to know and love. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Amazon, etc. The big players. Recognizable brand names. Familiarity. What we think of when we think of the World Wide Web.
And then there’s what I affectionately refer to as The Narrow Web. A whole slew of other shit that only a small, totally plugged in segment of the population even knows about. Forget about the Dark Web. This is the real shadow Internet.
Case in point: What the fuck is Demon Time? What the fuck is a Step Chicken? What the fuck is a K-Pop Stan? Am I supposed to know what the fuck Animal Crossing is? What the fuck does it mean to dox someone? What the fuck is Cancel Culture?
I’m sorry for all the profanity but I have no idea what the fuck is going on anymore half the time. Innovation usually happens at a breakneck pace but nowadays I feel like we’re stuck in overdrive; rudderless and without a road map to guide us. And I’m someone who writes about new technologies! If I’m lost what about everyone else?!
I get that some people are going to be more plugged in than others. That there’s always going to be early adopters, beta-testers, tech-bros, fan boys, and social influencers who will always have their pulse of the Internet but I feel like lately things are out of control. So many new trends, apps, memes, cultural movements, and platforms all exploding onto the scene at once. It’s overwhelming to say the least.
I literally just starting watching YouTube for the first time in my life – to check out ASMR videos before I go to bed. Am I supposed to be making time for TikTok now too? What about Vine? Is that still a thing? Quibi? Or did we give up on that already? Mixer is apparently out. Is Twitch still in?
Catch my drift? What’s happening right now and the speed at which it’s happening is insane. There’s already a ton of content out there demanding our attention. Everything from Wikipedia and Reddit to podcasts, video games, magazines, and books. And in addition to YouTube there’s a plethora of a TV/Movie streaming platforms such as:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
- HBO Max
- CBS All Access
- Disney Plus
- Peacock (coming soon)
But that’s the least of our worries. What I’m really concerned about is everything else. All the Next Big Things competing for the attention of Millennials and everyone else. Here’s a partial list of everything influential/trending right now or over the last few months/years that is outside of what I would consider to be mainstream use:
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- Fortnite
- Minecraft
- Animal Crossing
- Twitch
- Clubhouse
- Basecamp
- Substack
- Medium
- Giphy
- Github
- Hey
- Citizen
- Social cults like the Step Chickens
- K-Pop Stans
- IG Live
- Line
None of which takes into account other major societal trends involving memes, Sarah Cooper videos, cannabis, microdosing, cryptocurrencies, e-gaming, the gig economy, QAnon conspiracy theories, Anonymous hacks, and the Uberification of everything or other platforms/apps rising in popularity/usefulness like Patreon, MasterClass, and Cameo. Nor does it take into account everything associated with digital avatars, AI, AR, VR, or anything else in the pipeline. And don’t even get me started on the Metaverse.
There’s so much happening and happening so quickly that I really can’t keep up with it all. And it doesn’t help that it’s all happening during a global pandemic under the existential dread of Climate Change. Perhaps we should slow our roll and have our best and brightest minds in Silicon Valley spend less time on new social networking apps and more time trying to solve our biggest problems like systemic racism, police brutality, economic inequality, and most importantly of all, our deteriorating environment. But what do I know? I’m just some guy the Internet passed by.
There’s basically a whole other web experience out there. Are you part of it?
Leave a comment