The Internet Will Die and So Will You | John West

The internet is not a permanent archive but an ephemeral environment subject to decay, mirroring the finitude of human life. This reality reveals a fundamental shift from individual human agency to mechanistic platform agency, where business models prioritize advertiser engagement over user needs. As digital spaces become engineered to keep users perpetually satiated and unconscious, the loss of control over these environments reflects a broader societal struggle with the collapse of shared reality. Computational journalist John West argues that reclaiming agency requires treating the digital sphere as a garden demanding active, mindful stewardship rather than passive consumption. By contrasting the open standards of the early web with today’s walled gardens, the conversation highlights how algorithmic mediation reshapes truth, knowledge production, and the ethical necessity of living deliberately within an increasingly technologized society.