Algorithms have stolen the internet and, in turn, much of our curiosity. And while I believe we can still get it back, it won’t be easy.

Recently, I spent more time on TikTok than I ever had in one sitting.

My brain was engulfed by this app, not wandering anywhere else. (Was it even… on?)

The level of rage and hate in the dictated feed became so extreme in such a short period of time that it became surreal. Someone falling to their death, lots of dog attacks, people fighting on the street, rage. Hate.

And I couldn’t stop scrolling…

The funny, quirky videos I open TikTok for didn’t keep me there. It was the rage and heart-rate-elevating micro-moments that did.

When I finally killed the app and tossed my phone across the living room floor, I felt dreadful. Not physically, but as if I had disassociated from my body and mind.

In my personal life, the early, slower days of the internet started as a destination, and now it operates more like a drug. When I use it in moderation, it’s joyful. But when I use it too often or for too long, it becomes something I want to avoid and frankly, never consume again.

And I can’t help but wonder two things:

#1- Am I to blame?

#2- Does anyone else feel like this?

The answer to #1 is ever-changing, like most human emotions and internal dilemmas. We’re trapped in a technology-first world, and leaving your always-connected smartphone behind is challenging and often impractical.

As for #2, I think many people feel this way, and we’re finally all starting to open up about it. At least that’s what I’m seeing on pockets of the web and in conversations with friends and colleagues.

The blanket “set a screen limit” or “delete the app from your phone” advice isn’t sufficient. These attention-demanding sites and apps are everywhere and do not want to let us break away.

It’s more than just willpower that we need. It requires a mental shift, maybe even a cultural one.

I don’t have all the answers, but I’m sure as hell going to try to do my small part to make the internet something we feel at peace with again.

Less doom-scrolling and more curiosity-driven deep dives.

Less trend-chasing and more connection-creating.

Less harvesting of our attention and more uncurated, imperfect pieces of the internet that remind us why we fell in love with the cyberworld during the dial-up days of yore.

Please join me (subscribe here) as I dive deep into the weird corners of life’s questions. It’ll be a little messy, riddled with friction and dead ends, but most of all, driven by genuine interest in the world around us.

Curiosity will save the internet. At least I hope so.

Enjoy the show’s trailer below. First episode coming soon.

Most, if not all, episodes will feature guests who will offer deep insights and genuine experience, something AI chatbots can only dream of.

Music connects us on a deeper level than damn near anything, so I’ve asked all guests to contribute to our ever-growing playlist (available on Spotify & Apple Music).

If it could be a burned CD with a hand-written title and a plastic, blank case you pulled from your mailbox once a month, I’d do it. 😜