The Dead Internet Theory

Introduction

Welcome to a world where the internet feels eerily quiet and empty, as if something important has gone missing. It's called the Dead Internet Theory, and it suggests that bots and computer-generated content have taken over most of the internet, pushing aside real human activity. This means that the things we used to enjoy, like chatting on forums or social media, have become like ghost towns, deserted and lacking life.

The theory raises worries about all the automated and AI-driven content that fills up the internet. It's hard to tell what's real and what's not, as computers try to imitate human creativity and interaction. This makes us wonder about the future of the internet and how much room there will be for human expression and connection.

TheDeadInternetTheory.com aims to explore the Dead Internet Theory and its impact on our online world. We'll explore how real the Theory is and what it means for us as technology continues to evolve.

Definition

The Dead Internet Theory suggests that the majority of the internet is now dominated by bot activity and algorithmically generated content, while organic human activity is marginalized. This theory claims that the widespread use of bots and automated algorithms has led to a decline in genuine, user-created content. Algorithmic curation further exacerbates this issue by limiting the visibility of organic human activity. While the theory may provoke debate, it highlights concerns about the prevalence of automated and AI-driven content, raising questions about the diminishing role of human creativity and participation on the internet.

Suggested Videos

If you want to delve deeper into the Dead Internet Theory, consider watching the following thought-provoking videos:

Evidence and Research

Below we will list some examples that show that this theory is getting more and more real.

YouTube Automation

A significant amount of content on platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok is now automatically generated using AI tools for scripts, images, voice-overs, and subtitles. Gain further insights by watching these videos:

Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk

During Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, it was revealed that a significant number of user accounts on the platform were operated by bots. Musk contested Twitter's claim of less than 5% bot accounts and commissioned studies that estimated around 13.7% and 11% of accounts to be bots. These bot accounts were found to generate a disproportionate amount of content, lending support to the Dead Internet Theory. Read more about it here.

Facebook bots

Facebook removed 5.8 billion fake accounts in 2022. Most of these were easy to detect, and therefore immediately removed, but more complicated bots remain on Facebook undetected. Facebook approximates the percentage of fake accounts (both handmade and bots) at 5%, or 90 million. Bots have been used to artificially amplify certain posts or topics so they are seen by more people.

Bot Traffic Reports

Ever year, Imperva publishes a Bad Bot Report that provides insights into the evolution of automated attacks and the prevalance of bad bots. According to Imperva, nearly half of the internet traffic in 2022 consisted of bots. Furthermore, Barracuda Networks claims that bots make up 64% of internet traffic.

Cambridge Analytica

Cambridge Analytica infamously utilized unauthorized personal information to build a system that profiled individual US voters for targeted political advertisements. Explore the impact of this incident through these resources:

Resources