this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2024
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[–] [email protected] 24 points 7 months ago

Both, probably.

The internet has given a lot of people a platform, and created accessibility for an endless audience that is always hunting for new drama. A lot of people seem to thrive on vicarious conflict, and of course so do the platforms that sell engagement. There's no need to wait for the nightly news broadcast anymore, you can get your fix 24/7 on Facebook, Xitter, YouTube... or right here on Lemmy.

At the same time, information technology has enabled businesses to operate, scale up, and pivot to new markets like nothing in the past... so the exploitation can happen faster than ever before. It's also enabling services of all kinds to reach the people that need them faster and more accurately. The technology isn't inherently good or bad, it just accelerates everything.

Some things are getting worse, and you're more likely to hear about that on the internet then you are to hear about things that are getting better.