MorbidFaithless posted... Not that I disagree, but what way should it have been metered out?
The internet turning out the way it did was inevitable just because of capitalism but if I had some combination of a time machine and absolute authority here's how the timeline would look. I'm aware this is a huge, unhinged wall of text but fuck it
- Create a regulatory agency (even possibly internationally) to help set common sense guidelines for big tech and social media/media sharing platforms to combat misinformation, propaganda and abuse. Major tech companies are banned from contributing to political campaigns and get fined out the ass if they don't follow the rules
- Have early smartphones remain business/enthusiast-oriented luxury items while pushing smart TVs/early IoT ecosystems as a more stripped down, idiot-proof means of acclimating normie consumers to all this shit
- Intentionally stagger the rollout of high-speed mobile networks to prioritize text-based content (SMS/email) and services that don't rely on beaming fuck tons of content to people.
- Mandate all K-12 schools to teach media literacy and non-elective computer skills classes so that they're better prepared to function in a world where there's a constant stream of information, news and entertainment at all times
- Mandate platforms to ban children from maintaining accounts unless the platforms develop some kind of strongly sandboxed environment where they can be safe from certain types of advertising, problematic content and potential abuse from other members. Similar to the transition between getting a driving permit to a license, also develop some system or guidelines where they can gradually access platforms' "normal" environments as they become adults
- Create a demerit system similar to points on a driving license where irresponsible and dangerous/abusive users' access to nonessential platforms becomes limited or even blocked, accompanied by mandatory "don't be a fucking idiot on the internet" classes
- For lack of a better word, nationalize social media platforms, or somehow have the industry set up where regions/countries of the world have their own respective equivalents to our current big tech platforms, while still allowing international access for users interested in them
- Instate harsh penalties in situations where foreign governments attempt to push misinformation and propaganda by instating communications-based sanctions by limiting (and if necessary, outright blocking) access to appropriate services and platforms
- Make AI media generation significantly harder for the average idiot to gain access to, and mandate some kind of watermarking/metadata standard which can easily let people know if something's AI-generated while also making the content easily traceable in appropriate situations