The Internet's Unfulfilled Promise: From Global Enlightenment to Misinformation

In the 1990s, the internet was heralded as a revolutionary force with boundless potential. It promised to democratize knowledge, facilitating the global exchange of wisdom, accelerating scientific discoveries, and fostering international peace.

However, the reality has fallen short of these lofty aspirations. Instead of becoming a tool for enlightenment, the internet has become a breeding ground for misinformation and propaganda.

Historically, it was thought that a common enemy might unite humanity, prompting collective action—even if that enemy were hypothetical extraterrestrials threatening our existence. Yet, when faced with the very real and existential threat of climate change, misinformation campaigns ramped up, undermining global efforts to tackle the crisis effectively.

The internet, once envisioned as a beacon of shared knowledge and unity, has instead played a role in clouding public understanding and hindering the collective action needed to address one of our most pressing global challenges.