At the current rate that it is functioning, I do not think that the internet will last in this capacity. What will transpire is the rendition of the internet to an almost unrecognizable state. I am not brazen enough to believe that the entire internet will just faze out overtime, contrary, I think that it will increase in size and usage. So what does the seemingly perplexing statement that is written above really mean?

The great victory for the internet is the fact that it is free: free to use and freedom of use. There are no restrictions on the internet. It is a haven of free speech. A true modern allegory for a utopian society: people free to do anything, say anything, see anything. If someone is of age to remember the earlier stages of the internet, they would tell that there were many rabbit holes that could be explored. The amount of known websites was an ever growing variable. Many users had not migrated to a site of mainstay, and were more spread out throughout the virtual world. The internet was a brave new world, lush with discovery and unknowns. With such a sporadic landscape, moderation of websites were at the lowest. Many people were just there to take in the sights, in a childlike state and pace. Children never think of the future, which made the internet almost simple; a state of now that parallels the optimism of the Magellan era. In a similar sense, all things must come to pass, as did the arrow through the hopes of the discoverer.

En lien to the seasons, a harsh winter breeze serves as a reminder of the bounties of the spring time. The waning moon is a stark reminder of the eminent arrival of the bountiful sun that we all know will shine above us, as the seemingly endless night draws to an end. However, this cycle will repeat, as an acknowledgement of the traveled man. The internet is no different, as technology and society advances, the cycle will no doubt reach a point of bountiful usage and learning. However, we are reaching a critical winter in the online world, as more and more people join in the usage of the internet, so will the number of websites that are created. Although that appears to be the case, it would be more suitable to say that the internet is actually getting smaller. More and more people use the internet everyday, however they are not creating more websites. The large migration of users is not to the new websites that are created on a daily basis, contrary, they migrate to the websites that are already in heavy use. This presents problems that cannot be ignored: privacy and security are an anomalous property that many people may think they have access to, but in reality, the internet is no such haven. A looming shadow will dare show it’s face to us, and the time of bounty will quickly become an era of subtle evil.

I am sure that many people have heard or read of the Cambridge Analytica data leaks. Mass collection of user data and privacy brings images of a dystopian world, but many people have reluctantly accepted this as the nature of the beast. Contrary, it is never so easy. The mass collectors will continue to do their job, and this is only the beginning. The possibilities of these intrusions are so much more; mass surveillance, for start, seems like the logical next step. One can argue that data collection is already the same. However, I am talking of surveillance on a scale that is not in the same realm of understanding as data collection. Data collection is merely treading the waters for the oncoming flood. As consumerism reaches greater levels, so will the demand. It is logical to see that greater demand requires greater information, specifically the logistics and the essence of the demand. “Exactly why does product m fare better than product n in certain markets? Why does country A prefer this lifestyle over country B?” All of this is for one goal: simplicity. Simplicity of life sells well because the thought of peace of mind is highly marketable. Elevating lifestyle simplicity and tailoring products to the public will no doubt make life easier. Barriers that many people faced everyday were eliminated by similar means like the cellular phone or the car or even the many books translation. and now this facet will be taken even further. These statements all point toward an idealized utopia: a carefree life where everybody everywhere gets along. Now, that does sound like something mentioned before.

Attempting to live a life purely on the internet seems extraordinary and outlandish. Yet it is in the realm of possibility. In fact, it may even happen within the lifetimes of anyone reading this. The reason I say this is due to the culmination of my statements above. The internet is increasing in users, but the size of the virtual world is diminishing. Due to this, the world is growing more and more simple as the things we consume serve to simplify our lives through technology. As technology gets better, the need for physical stores will be nonexistent, and preferred areas of living will be dictated by delivery times. As barriers in our world decrease due to simplifications, the sparsity of human settlements will also decrease. Similar to what the internet’s user bases are doing, many people will begin to centralize around large cities as technology has simplified the needs of many humans. There is very little reason for humans to stay in the outskirts or rural areas of the world. One may argue price is a factor, much like any large city in the world. Eventually, they will be able to relocate, as the demand for living space within the large cities will skyrocket. It would be foolish to assume that this demand will not warrant expansions of not only the cities core infrastructures, but of living areas around the city. So, now that everyone has settled in a large techno-city, what is next?

The book “1984” by George Orwell is a book that I hate. The writing is clear and horrifying, with each page serving as another terrifying revelation after the other. It is admittedly an excellent book and why I despise it so. Through all that praise, the book does miss out on a key factor that Orwell could not have possibly foreseen, else the book would mirror the modern world perfectly: the internet. The power of the internet would have shortened the book tenfold, as it would have been obvious to see the outcome from Orwell’s perspective. Once the migration of humans, both on the internet and in reality, have centralized, the entire world would be rewritten. History is rewritten even today, and in a society of pure technocracy, it would be child’s play. Consumer products perfectly tailored to your every need through data collection will cause the birth of true mega corporations that know exactly what people want. The media and news outlets will stomp out the truth from every article, shifting the narrative to fit anything that the corporations want. A true mass indoctrination of the world will occur, as votes will be completely swayed due to the portrayal of any opposition as overbearingly evil. The worst part is that nobody will be able to do anything, and nobody will want to do anything. The internet will have simplified even the complexities of the human being and, in that, will restrict our way of life to that of a caged animal.

The purpose of this post is not to fear monger. I still believe in the human spirit to oppose simplicity and embrace chaos. Unfortunately, looking at this through a human’s perspective, it seems like a plausible outcome. Although unlikely, I think that people should spend the time to look for alternatives to their way of lives; because being stoic is a means to a happier life. As the saying goes, if something is too good to be true, it probably is.