It is difficult to quantify the value of the internet on a person-to-person basis. Previous communication tools had either a material value to them (newspapers, mail) or a cost associated with use (phones, pagers, voicemail). While the internet initially fits into the second category its scope, development, and the way we use it has far exceeded the cost-associations that previous technologies have always had. And, to be fair, sending 1’s and 0’s down a network of tubes is insanely low in cost, but the infrastructure around those tubes is easily forgotten. I’m not doing any research here but even to pay for this WordPress blog to go “live” (and for me to get a domain name with it) will apparently cost me $60AUD for the first year, but before I commit to that I’m allowed to build, edit, and write on the website for free. The price tag does set a good precedent though: would you pay $5/month for Facebook?

Communication is a part of human nature, and the internet has made reaching people easier than ever. But the free services we have become dependent on aren’t simply good-willed; they abide by the profit margins they can generate, and their tactics for doing so are becoming more egregious.

All of this is to say, I’m spending too much time on things that give the illusion of connecting. “Services” that have no interest in my wellbeing, but are instead looking to maximise my time spent on them (as metrics for investors or stakeholders) and, if possible, generate income out of me, whether that’s through my own wallet or the ads they can serve (a function that values the time I’m on the service and, thus, my time spent viewing ads).

The internet is a fantastic tool for communication, when communication is at the core of what we are doing with it. The tool, the internet, is not the problem, but I personally need to distance myself from the systems that distract and disconnect. I’m not certain if I will remove myself entirely, but I think finding, and paying for, my own corner of the internet is a step towards a communication platform I can comfortably retain control over. I do not expect everyone, or even anyone, to follow me, but I look forward to going outside or actually achieving things a bit more¹, even if it means I miss out on an event invitation or two.

TL;DR: Welcome to my website. I’m hoping it will be a place for me to freely express myself as well as a place where people can still find me on the internet.

1. This might imply that I’m blaming social media for my own shortcomings and, in a way, I am. That said I think I’ve already established that they use predatory psychological practices to “engage” users (regardless of how engaged my brain might feel), and so removing myself from that system should be healthier in and of itself.