“The Internet will disappear”: the scientist told how, when and why this will happen

Gert Lovink, a professor at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, believes that sooner or later the Internet will not be suitable as a platform for the exchange of ideas. Techxplore.com writes that this is what will cause people to stop using the Web so often and so much.

Lovink believes the Web is full of flaws, especially when it comes to sharing ideas. He argues that the Internet will (partially) disappear and we will have to abandon our dependence on technology. This is also because the products that give us access to content or communication are decentralized. They are concentrated in the hands of BigTech companies, and in turn, they do not care about people’s rights, even if they see that their products are addictive and addictive.

The professor spent many years researching Wikipedia, search engines, social networks and cryptocurrencies, as well as online models for making a profit, and came to the conclusion that the Internet is “wrong” but “can and should be fixed”. But in recent months, Lovink has begun to change his mind. Now, “there may come a point when this (‘fixing’ the Web) becomes impossible and then the negative effects are no longer controllable. The internet is losing popularity and BigTech is probably already aware of this. Mark Zuckerberg stepped away from his social networks and started Meta as if everything was alright and we can start over, but the web is clearly already “broken”.

Gerd Lovink says users are too dependent on social networks and apps. Teens are increasingly suffering from anxiety disorders, have low self-esteem, stop thinking critically, have impaired short-term memory, become distracted and fragmented. This is what makes the web a less popular tool for communication. “The so-called freedom of speech really doesn’t exist anymore,” Lovink says. “I’m seeing signs that people are posting less and less of their ideas online.”

Users are under pressure not only from corporations, but also from governments that use technology to monitor their citizens and know everything about them.

“You can’t take the train if you think ‘wrong’ in China. If you want to apply for a visa in the US you have to share all your social media profiles. It’s still not so bad in the West. Europe, but it’s so easy to track your online activity that at some point people no longer He won’t be able to travel, get a mortgage or insurance,” he writes.

It’s this “sophisticated control” that will become so commonplace that people eventually turn their backs on the internet, Lovink said. “I believe people will start to avoid technology.”

The scientist offers several scenarios for the development of events, among them a scenario called “The Disappearing Internet”. He envisions a future in which some services will no longer be available, including in light of the geopolitical situation and the climate crisis, which will lead to limited or disconnected internet access.

The idea of ​​losing internet connection may seem unthinkable, especially for young people, but it is necessary to look critically at the future. “A year ago it was unthinkable to go without gas, but now that is a reality given the situation with Russia. Likewise, given the climate issues, it is possible that the electricity infrastructure will fail and the internet will fail. Since the entire population depends on it, people like Elon Musk are certainly very expensive and They will offer a dedicated satellite link.”

We previously reported that researchers have found a way to securely search for information on the Internet. It will be possible to search for data secretly, without revealing information about yourself.