The Internet: A Fickle Bitch and a Boondoggle for the Rest of Us

Let’s get real here—the internet is one fickled bitch. A high-maintenance diva that promises the moon but delivers little more than a series of lit-up screens showing an endless parade of glitter and chaos. Sure, some folks get catapulted into stardom faster than you can say “viral video,” but for the rest of us? We’re grinding away year after year, shouting into the void and getting nothing but the deafening sound of crickets in return.

Back in 2006, when I first dipped my toes into this digital swamp, claiming that the whole thing would somehow be a leveled playing field for everyone was as naive as saying the Cubs would win the World Series—before they actually did. The internet sold us this promise of shared riches, wealth for the masses writ large. Yet only a handful of tech titans emerged, sailing their yachts along in the wake of our drowned aspirations. The rest of us? We’re still splashing about in the Sea of Humanity, drowning in insecurity, wondering if maybe there’s something wrong with us—or, perhaps, we just weren’t born with the right hashtags.

And don’t even get me started on the younger generations. Those Millennials strutted in like they owned the place, acting like the internet just popped up overnight, tailor-made to amuse them. Look, I respect their love of TikTok dances and avocado toast, but it’s hard to swallow when you realize they think you’re some relic just because you might remember days before smartphones. Age discrimination runs rampant online, fueled by the quirky snobbishness of those who think they know it all because they’ve spent their lives glued to a screen.

Then, of course, there’s Gen Z and Gen Alpha, standing there with their mouths agape as they watch those hairless wonders like Ryan play with toys and effortlessly nab product endorsements. If only my childhood had included pitching products like they do! I had Ed, Ed, and Eddy and a whole lot of imagination—not even a hint of a YouTube channel. But corporate television? That’s a whole other can of worms, a money-making machine spitting out reality shows while we all sit on the sidelines wondering what happened to good old-fashioned storytelling.

The truth is that the internet, for all its pizzazz, has created a system where not everyone can be a winner. If you aren’t one of the chosen few who hit the jackpot, you’d better have thick skin. Because navigating this digital minefield requires tenacity and a hefty dose of humor. The illusion of equality gets shattered daily as we scroll through feeds filled with perfect lives and flawless selfies, wondering if we’re invisible or simply yesterday’s news.

So here’s the bottom line: The internet may be a fickle mistress, but it’s up to us to steer the ship. We need to stop comparing ourselves to the shiny outliers and start valuing our own stories—the hard-earned, messy, and real experiences that define us. Instead of blaming AI or the latest TikTok trend, let’s own our narratives and remind those whippersnappers that not everything worth knowing jumped onto their screens at birth. After all, the digital world can drown you in noise, but a genuine voice has a way of cutting through it, one thoughtful word at a time.