The internet was one of the most amazing inventions ever made by man. In the late 90s and early 2000s, it was like a new world -- full of opportunity, freedom to speak your mind, and endless possibilities. Sites like Yahoo, MySpace, early blogs, and forums were home to real voices, creative content, and a sense of "community." Some called it "the new information democracy."
However, many today wonder: has the internet lost its old charm? How and how much has it changed over the years? The answer is not so simple. Technology has evolved, content has become more professional, social networks have become dominant, and large corporations have amassed enormous power. In less than three decades, the internet has gone from a tool of freedom to a system of control and profit.
When the internet first took its first steps in the early 90s, it seemed like a digital oasis of freedom. It was a place where information could travel without limits, where everyone had a voice, and where creativity transcended the boundaries of traditional media. The internet enabled ordinary people to share their ideas, write articles, upload photos, build communities. It was a time of experimentation, excitement, and endless possibilities.
As the years passed, however, the character of the internet began to change. Its freedom became a tool for profit. True expression was replaced by carefully edited images, hashtags, and "viral" content. Big tech companies began to understand the enormous financial gain hidden behind user data. Thus, the internet went from a place for exchanging ideas to a huge shopping mall where every click, every like, every comment has financial value.
The big social media platforms didn't just provide communication -- they shaped new ways of thinking, aesthetics, and behavior. The algorithm became the invisible ruler of publicity, and attention became currency. Today, in 2025, algorithms are more sophisticated than ever, using artificial intelligence to predict what we want to see before we even realize it.
The internet, from a place of exploration, became a place of hyperinformation. From spontaneous participation we moved to the construction of an image. Exaggeration replaced naturalness. The need for visibility and success led to a constant production of content, not always meaningful, but certainly "consumable". More than 2,5 million gigabytes of data are created worldwide every day - a number that would have seemed like science fiction to the first users of the internet.
In this article we will examine the main stages of this change. From the era of forums and blogs to the dominance of social networks. From the authenticity of the first creators to the professionalization of online presence. From freedom of speech to the monitoring and control of content. We will try, without nostalgia, (as much as possible) but with a clear view, to understand how and why the internet changed so radically. And above all, we will express our concern, is there still room for meaningful, personal expression in the age of the algorithm?
🔍 Article Contents
1. The Good Old Days of the Internet (1995-2010)
The period from the mid-90s to 2010 is considered by many to be the golden age of the internet. It was then that the internet functioned as an open workshop of ideas, a "digital village" where everyone could speak their mind, create, discover and communicate without the restrictions we know today.
📌 What characterized this era?
1. Freedom of expression without limits
Users could express themselves without algorithms interfering with the resonance of what they said. Forums, blogs, newsgroups, and personal websites were created by people passionate about their subject matter. Writing was not a "job," but a necessity and a joy. Anyone who had something to say could find their audience, no matter how specialized or fringe their topic.
2. Content without the goal of profit
The content of that period was more authentic. There were no influencers, sponsored posts, or ads. No one thought about SEO or analytics. The creator wrote to share, not to rank on Google. Websites were personal expressions, not business ventures. Quality was measured by the value of the content, not the number of visitors.
✅ Positives of the old days
• Real voices without filters
• Substantive dialogue and exchange of ideas
• Creativity without commercial restrictions
• Communities based on common interests
❌ Negatives of the old era
• Limited access (few had internet)
• Slow connection speeds
• Difficulty finding information
• Fewer communication options
3. Human connection
Communication between users was based on dialogue, not self-promotion. It was the era of IRC chats, forums, and mailing lists, where people from all over the world could exchange ideas as equals. Discussions could last for weeks or months, with participants building real friendships and professional relationships. Reputation and credibility were earned over time and consistency, not by the number of followers.
4. Variety and many voices
The internet had not yet been consolidated under a few large platforms. There were thousands of small, independent websites, giving voice to communities that were not represented in traditional media. Every hobby, every scientific field, every art had its own corners on the internet. This diversity created a rich and vibrant environment for learning and discovery.
5. The beginning of blogging
Blogging was one of the most revolutionary tools of its time. Blogs like Blogger.com, LiveJournal, and later WordPress, enabled millions of people to share their thoughts, experiences, and opinions on every conceivable topic. Blogs were personal diaries that became public discussion platforms, creating a new form of journalism and literature.
📷 Examples of platform features
Geocities hosted personal pages that reflected the creator's personality, filled with GIFs and personal stories. Each page was unique, without templates or restrictions.
Slashdot and Digg were communities for geeks and tech news, where users had the first say. Information democracy really worked.
MySpace allowed users to design their own profiles -- a form of digital self-expression that gradually disappeared with the arrival of standardized platforms.
✏️ Why are we nostalgic for this time of year?
The old glory of the internet wasn't based on technology, it was based on people. On authenticity, communication, and a sense of community. There were no influencers, sponsored posts, or viral challenges. There was content created with genuine interest and love.
Today, as authenticity on the internet is under pressure, more and more users are looking for ways to bring that spirit back. The return to newsletters, personal blogs, and forums is a reaction to the standardized experience of major platforms.
2. The Rise of Social Media
With the advent of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), the landscape changed radically. From direct communication, we moved to constant exposure. This change was not just technological - it was social and psychological.
Social networks brought a new logic: instead of visiting specific websites for information, all information came to one central place - your feed. This radically changed the way we consume content and communicate with others.
1. Digital identity: Users began to "build" personal brands. Every photo, every post, every comment became part of a carefully constructed image. Spontaneity gave way to the need for "curation" of one's online presence.
2. Competition for attention: "Likes" became the currency of acceptance. People began to measure their worth by the reactions they generated. This led to a new form of anxiety and insecurity, as social acceptance became directly linked to online activity.
3. Reduced dialogue: Platforms have reinforced superficial communication. Instead of deep conversations, we have short comments, reactions, and shares. The complexity of ideas has had to fit into 140-character tweets or impressive photos.
4. Person-centered culture: Content revolves around people, not ideas. What matters is not what you say, but who says it. The personality of the creator has become more important than their content.
The social internet, while bringing millions of people together, has also introduced phenomena such as toxicity, confirmation bias, and misinformation. However, it has also created information "bubbles" where people only see what confirms their pre-existing beliefs.
3. The Algorithm - The "invisible" manager
Most people now see not the content they choose, but what an algorithm chooses to show them. This is perhaps the most rapid change in the way the internet works.
The algorithm is a set of mathematical rules that decide what you see in your feed. While companies claim the goal is to show you "relevant" content, in reality the goal is to keep you on the platform as long as possible so they can see more ads.
1. Display control: What you see depends on criteria like engagement, advertising value, and your previous choices. A creator may have thousands of followers, but their content may only reach a few dozen of them unless they pay for promotion.
2. Boosting clickbait: The most "blatant" headlines dominate. The algorithm rewards content that provokes strong reactions - whether positive or negative. This leads to exaggerations and the dominance of extreme views.
3. Information filters: Information "bubbles" are created. The algorithm shows you more of the same content you liked in the past, limiting your exposure to new ideas and opinions.
4. Loss of control: The creator is dependent on the platform's decisions. A change in the algorithm can destroy years of work. Many content creators have seen their work "disappear" overnight due to such changes.
This means that the internet is no longer a place of free exploration, but a mechanism that promotes specific content, often based on what sells. Variety and discovery are giving way to predictability and commercialization.
4. Commodification and Loss of Authenticity
The internet in recent years has transformed from a space of creative freedom into a vast commercial arena. The majority of popular platforms are now based on the advertising model, where content is not the goal but a means to sales and clicks. This has led to a significant erosion of authenticity.
💰 From expression to marketing
1. Content became a product
Every post, video, or article is designed to "sell" -- whether it's a product or the creator's own image. The internet now feels more like a TV commercial than a public forum for dialogue. Even the most "spontaneous" content often has hidden commercial purposes.
2. The language of clickbait
Headlines like "You won't believe what happened!" or "The truth they're hiding from us" dominate. The goal is not to inform or express, but to get you to click to increase traffic and advertising revenue. This leads to a degradation of content quality and user frustration.
3. Trust lost
As sponsored posts and "silent" brand partnerships proliferate, the public is finding it difficult to distinguish between genuine opinion and paid promotion. This leads to frustration and a loss of trust. Many users have become suspicious of any recommendation or review they see online.
4. Mass production of content
The need for constant presence leads to low-quality content production. Content becomes shallow, repetitive, and predictable -- almost copy-pasted from other sources. Quantity trumps quality, as platforms reward regular content posting.
5. Influencers as brands
Many influencers now operate as companies. Every aspect of their online presence is designed to keep their image "clean", attractive and commercially useful. This creates distance from the audience and a loss of the human dimension.
✨ How is creativity affected?
Commercialization not only affects authenticity, but also creative freedom. Creators are forced to adapt to the demands of platforms and advertisers, limiting the topics they can address or the way they present them.
For example, a blogger who writes about sociopolitical issues may see their content "buried" by the algorithm because it is not considered "safe" for advertisers. This leads to self-censorship and simplification of content.
🔄 Is there a solution?
There are moves in the opposite direction. More and more creators are abandoning the big platforms and returning to independent solutions such as personal websites, newsletters (e.g. Substack), or subscription systems (e.g. Patreon). There, they can write freely and maintain control over their work.
The return to authenticity is not easy. It only takes the creator themselves to choose it and the public to support it. We are already seeing signs of this change, with the rise of independent newsletters and personal websites.
5. The Loss of Creative Freedom
The creator's initial enthusiasm has been replaced with KPIs, SEO, and monetization. While these are useful tools, they often limit creativity and turn creation from a passion into a pressured profession.
Today, a content creator thinks not only about “what do I want to say” but also about “what does the algorithm want to hear.” This leads to a significant limitation of creative expression.
1. Limitation of topic: Creators write about what is "trending." The topics they choose are not based on personal interest or experience, but on what is "trending" and what can bring in more visitors. This leads to uniformity and a loss of uniqueness.
2. Platform dependency: If a platform changes policy, years of work can be destroyed. Many creators have lost thousands of visitors and revenue due to algorithm changes or changes to terms of service. This dependency creates a sense of insecurity and limits creativity.
3. Fear of censorship: Some topics are implicitly "banned." Creators self-censor to avoid being "punished" by the algorithm. Topics deemed "sensitive" or "controversial" are avoided, even if they are important and worthy of discussion.
4. Content standardization: Everyone follows the same recipes to succeed. There are "formulas" for viral content, templates for successful posts, and guidelines for the "perfect" article.
Creative freedom has not been completely lost, however, it has been significantly restricted, especially when a creator's survival depends on the performance of their works. Many creators are looking for alternatives that allow them greater freedom of expression.
6. The Internet through the eyes of the new generation
As older internet users look back on its "purer" days, younger generations have grown up in a completely different digital environment. For many of them, the internet was never something "real" or "ideal" -- it was always there, as a means of consumption, entertainment, and social networking.
🧠 How Gen Z and Gen Alpha view the internet*
1. TikTok as a main source of information
Instead of turning to blogs or news websites, many young people are getting their news from short videos in their feed. The information is presented in an entertaining way, but often without depth or fact-checking. This creates a new form of illiteracy – not an inability to read, but an inability to critically evaluate information.
2. Perception of content as "trend"
Content is consumed at a rapid pace, based on trends and influencers. Many young people are less interested in who created something than in how "viral" it went. The value of content is measured by its social impact, not its substance.
3. There is no sense of "ownership" of the internet
Older users felt like they "owned" the internet. They created their own blog, their own email, their own avatar. Today, everything is hosted on platforms -- TikTok, Instagram, YouTube -- and users are simply members. This creates a sense of distance and dependency.
4. Increased familiarity, decreased critical thinking
The new generation is extremely familiar with technology, but often lacks the tools to separate authentic from fictional content. The speed of information consumption leaves no time for reflection and verification.
5. New forms of creativity
Despite the limitations, the new generation has developed new forms of creativity. From memes and short-form videos to collaborative art projects on Discord servers. Creativity adapts to new tools and environments.
🎯 What does this mean for the future of authenticity?
The new generation isn't responsible for turning the internet into a commercial tool -- they were just born into it. But growing fatigue with ephemeral content, heightened concerns about mental health, and a desire for real connections are creating a window of opportunity.
*
🔹 Gen Z
Year of birth: circa 1997–2012
The first generation to grow up entirely in the era of the internet, smartphones and social media.
Known for digital familiarity, sensitivity to social issues, and tendency to learn and work online.
🔹 Gen Alpha (Generation Alpha)
Year of birth: circa 2013–mid 2020s.
The most technological generation, growing up with AI, tablets, robotics and virtual reality from an early age.
📌 In a nutshell:
- Gen Z: today's teenagers and young adults.
- Gen Alpha: today's elementary school children and younger.
🌱 Can the new generation resurrect the old glory of the internet?
Maybe not in the same way that the old ones experienced it, but in its own true way. Instead of forums, perhaps through Discord communities. Instead of blogs, through personal newsletters. Instead of "returning" to the old internet, we can build a new one -- more conscious, more human, more meaningful.
The new generation has the tools and the know-how. It just needs the awareness and the will to use technology in a more conscious way.
7. Conclusions and prospects
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