I try not to indulge in too much nostalgia for what the internet was like when I was growing up, but one thing that was better about it was that most people weren’t using it to market themselves. Nowadays, it seems like every smalltime screen addict comes with a built in instinct for turning themselves into the product that their platform of choice desires.

While I’ll defend it against some criticisms, TikTok is undeniably one of the worst for this. It’s full of overly self-conscious Zoomers and Millennials throwing stuff at the algorithm until they find something that sticks. That being said, at least some of this dross is entertaining. Some of that is down to a genuine sense of humor, and some because of genuine stupidity. Whatever the reason, it all gets blended into the same digestible content smoothie in the end. This is what being online is like in 2023, folks. Take it or leave it!