The Internet Isn't Dead—It's Just Fragmented Into Walled Gardens
Source: Troy Young
What people call "the internet being dead" reflects the collapse of the open web into a handful of closed platforms where algorithmic feeds have replaced directory browsing and search. The raw number of websites keeps growing, but consumer attention and commerce have consolidated into TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, and Discord—places where discovery happens through algorithmic recommendation rather than links and exploration. This shift changes how new consumer brands find audiences. The constraint is distribution, not technology. Platforms with network effects outcompete independent publishers and creators trying to build direct relationships with consumers.