The Internet has changed dramatically since those early, almost romantic days, before it became an inseparable part of our everyday lives.
There was a time when being online meant belonging to a relatively small community of curious people, explorers and enthusiasts. A time when you could trust almost everyone you met online, or at least feel that you could. There was a certain sense of discovery, freedom and shared understanding.
Those days are long gone.
Today, far too many people use the Internet without fully understanding what they’re doing — or, in some cases, without understanding it at all.
The Internet has become more accessible, but accessibility hasn’t necessarily brought awareness. Everyone has a voice, but not everyone understands the responsibility that comes with using it.
And perhaps that’s what I miss most: not the technology itself, which has improved beyond anything we could have imagined, but the spirit of the people who once inhabited it.
The Internet used to feel like a place to explore. Sometimes, today, it feels like a place we’ve forgotten how to navigate.