What I'm Doing Online to Resist the Internet Becoming so Awful

I'm sick of AI all over the internet. I'm sick of the ads and the fake and the waste of time. So I'm doing something about it.

First, I changed my search engine to DuckDuckGo. I did a bit of research and discovered that I can easily turn off all AI in DuckDuckGo which I couldn't do with Google as my search engine. I haven't given up all Google products because I don't think I can since they underpin so much of the internet and are my main email, my phone is a Google Pixel, I use Google Photos, etc. I just didn't want to be slammed in my face with AI on every search result.

DuckDuckGo feels like the internet from 20 years ago. It looks modern, but the results remind me of looking at the internet a long time ago--without all the stuff Google has added. That is what I wanted. It makes the internet feel like a tool rather than all of life. I go to it to search for things.

If you want to do it, you can go to the settings in Google Chrome and change the default search engine. It's simple. You can also add the DuckDuckGo browser to your phone and add a widget. I can't remove the Google search widget from my phone home screen, but I added the DuckDuckGo one above it to remind me to use that.

Second, I try to read more on Wikipedia rather than scroll YouTube. I dropped all social media a couple of years ago and am glad for it. YouTube can be addicting with it's infinite scroll and is getting more and more AI-generated content. A couple of years ago, I started seeing The Beatles in HD video with color. I suspected that they were AI generated and noticed defects in the video. I see it more and more now, and I can't stand it.

Instead of scrolling when I'm not doing something useful like practicing Hebrew or listening to the Bible for an upcoming sermon, I remind myself to see what's interesting on Wikipedia. It's the last, mostly ad-free, interesting place on the internet. It's just articles. You can click links to learn about interesting things. 

The other day, I started reading about my old Hubsan x4 mini-drone, then read about agricultural drones, and then read about the history of the Farm Bureau. It was fascinating without being addicting. You do have to show discernment about articles with little citation, though.

Third, I write a blog. I hope that I can help keep real people writing and reading. I miss the days where more bloggers wrote about what they were reading, thinking, watching, etc. I haven't given up on my blog because it is a chance to practice writing, build the discipline to write, serve readers, and glorify God. I suspect that the future of the internet has to be more human rather than less. If AI is immediately available and everything is fake, then genuine writing, thinking, and connection will be more valuable rather than less.

If you read this, thank you. I don't have a huge readership, but I'm thankful you take the time to read what I write.

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