We Don’t Need a Smarter Internet– We Need a Kinder One

The web algorithm has figured out that fear keeps us engaged longer than nuance ever will. This is a problem because fear brings chaos, misinformation, and crap to our beloved web. It’s not a coincidence. A study by MIT found that false news spreads six times faster than real news. Why? Because misinformation is designed to trigger reactions, and reactions mean engagement. And in Web2, engagement equals profit.

Yes—Web3 was supposed to fix this with decentralization, ownership, and freedom!
But I have a fear that instead of doomscrolling, we are building tokenized engagement loops. Instead of being trapped by algorithms, we’ll be trapped by financial incentives. And suddenly, "digital ownership" might just mean we own a piece of our own exploitation. It’s like paid doomscrolling. That’s not the experience I want in the human web we are creating.

Do not get me wrong. Web3 has tremendous potential; that is why we need to consider where we are heading.
I have previously touched upon the fact that we have already turned our lives into content. We monetized our hobbies. We branded our personalities. I agree with a friendly follower on LinkedIn who said, “Back in the day, the internet felt genuine.”

Great news, some Web3 projects are asking the right questions:
Twimbit is trying to make research more accessible instead of just viral. WeAre8 wants to reshape social media so that engagement isn’t just about outrage and dopamine hits.The Prosocial Media Movement is working on ways to build online spaces that reward thoughtful interaction over emotional knee-jerk responses.

I am not saying that these projects are the panacea for Web2’s disease. But at least they’re recognizing the problem.
The issue isn’t that the internet is getting (AI) smart. It’s that it’s getting better at manipulating us. AI-driven algorithms, engagement-based incentives, and financialization are all shaping how we think, feel, and interact…and slowly killing many professions.

I do not have the answers to all the questions. But we need to consider if we are building an internet that empowers us, or one that turns us into highly efficient, DEEPLY predictable consumers? Is it too much to ask for Web3 that is kind to our needs and considers our well-being as well?

Let’s soften the sharp greedy corners of the old Web2 structure with human-centric ideas and values. Let’s make the web kind again…