you know what, you are so right. it is the metas and the tiktoks! it's the scrollification of the internet. everything is endless scrolling now, algorithm and counting views. i hadn't thought of that.
absolutely! 👆👆👆 The Internet is our 3rd space now, because real 3rd spaces had been taken over by the corporations (I think Joost had said that?). And now the corporations had clued in that they can hack our Internet too. They want you to only scroll and watch the ads (and sooo many ads are undisclosed btw). Every time you take time to create something, to send a dm to a friend, to write a comment on ao3, to build a community with other humans in a fandom - you are not watching the ad, the only metric that really matters to the current internet owners. All the Zuckerbergs and Musks and other freaks (derogatory) want you to be as passive as possible and if you must speak to someone - they're now forcing a fucking chatbot on you so you can be fed even more undisclosed ads.
Building real human connections is how you fight against soulless corporations who see people only as a way to make more cash. And fandom is the perfect place to build those connections. And sure, it's not always comfortable and not always pleasant - but that's all part of building that very real village even on a virtual ground! FANDOM IS A COMMUNITY! 👏
