I’m 33 and grew up alongside the internet, and we’ve both changed a lot since the days of AOL Instant Messenger (no one asked, but my first screen name was @purplemonster64). Back in the day, I was an avid user of whatever moody blog-ish community I could find, spending hours on Xanga, LiveJournal, MySpace, and Tumblr.
Many of the quirky, niche — sometimes problematic — digital communities of the past have been transformed into sleek, frictionless spaces. It happened in fits and starts, with some platforms growing and becoming ubiquitous (like Facebook), and others being absorbed and reimagined by tech giants (like Instagram and YouTube).
If you also think of yourself as “very online”, you know exactly what I’m talking about. But this week’s episode of Code Switch gave me a new framework to understand what’s happening — the internet is being gentrified.
Much like IRL gentrification, the online version happens when big companies degrade or erase internet culture because it doesn't serve their bottom line. And this loss of community has consequences beyond the obvious. As professor Jessa Lingel puts it, "Part of the problem with gentrification in a neighborhood is that it keeps you from knowing or trusting your neighbors."
Thankfully she also talks about a couple ways we can resist this shift — or at least be more aware of it. I walked away from the episode feeling like I should donate to Wikipedia, one of the last bastions of an older, more community-focused internet.
Stay weird y’all,
🤡 Julia
PS: What's one thing you miss about the internet of the early to mid aughts? Write to us at podclub@npr.org.
The week’s best episodes
…to share with your internet friends
🐒 Will Punch the baby monkey be okay?
Speaking of being “online”, Punch the baby monkey went viral last week after he and his stuffed animal won our hearts. Thankfully Short Wave talked to an actual scientist about our latest animal celebrity. (I wonder how Moo Deng is doing.)
🐞 Finally some answers: what’s up with the color red? Let’s keep the nature theme going for a sec. Why are cardinals red? Why do albino animals have red eyes? Outside/In from NHPR is a gem of a podcast, and this episode answers listener questions on all things rouge.
🇮🇷 Who will be Iran’s next leader?
If you’re looking to catch up on this week’s headlines… start here. The future of Iran hinges on its next leader — Consider This looks at how succession could unfold in the wake of the former Supreme Leader’s death.
➕ Journalism is still fun… …especially when it means a trip to Vegas. On this bonus episode of the NPR Politics Podcast, our correspondents share the most fun stories they’ve worked on. Get access to this episode (and sponsor-free listening) by signing up for NPR+.
One to Watch
THE RUMORS ARE TRUE:It’s Been a Minute is now on video! Host Brittany Luse is kicking things off with a spicy question for her guests: how important is money in a romantic relationship?
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