- 5 days ago
- 8 min read

unplug.

Updated: 2 days ago

---

Plugged In

Imagine a world where every sensation you feel, every sight you see, and every sound you hear is meticulously crafted by an unseen architect. The sky's hue, the rustling of leaves, the very ground beneath your feet—all are illusions woven into a grand tapestry designed to keep you complacent. This is the reality in the fictional world of The Matrix, where humanity is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated existence, their minds pacified while an artificial intelligence harvests their life force.

Humanity, reduced to little more than fodder, is essential to the machine’s survival. To maintain control, the machines devised the ultimate system for pacification: a new reality.

This isn't just science fiction.

In our own reality, we're similarly trapped—not by machines but by the very technologies we embrace daily. The platforms we joined to connect with others now serve to distract us, and the search engines that once offered knowledge are now tools for manipulation. You should care, and you should be scared.

Scared by the fact that our online experiences are orchestrated by algorithms that decide what news we see, what products we buy, and even the opinions we hold. These systems, driven purely by profit, subtly shape our perceptions, often without us realizing it.

Over the past decade, the Internet has morphed from a tool for knowledge-sharing and connection into a commercial landscape riddled with manipulation and distraction. Everywhere you turn, companies and platforms are vying for your attention, each casting its line in an attempt to reel you in by any means necessary. Algorithms, designed to monopolize our time and attention, have taken precedence over privacy, authenticity, and meaningful human interaction.

We are already being used as human cattle in a game designed to maximize profit while minimizing human capital. We’re distracted by sensationalized stories, kept in line by hysteria generated by news organizations controlled by a handful of powerful entities. Over 90% of the US media landscape is owned by just six corporations. Every story, every headline, is engineered to keep us docile, consuming, and divided.

We've become detached from authenticity, engaging with curated versions of reality through screens. Our connections are filtered, our choices influenced by unseen forces. It's a chilling thought—that we might be participants in a system designed to control and exploit us. But this isn't speculative fear-mongering; the evidence is right in front of us.

Right now, these companies are curating your experience. The world they want you to believe in isn’t real—it's a constructed reality.

---

The Statistics: The Constructed Reality

We are being funneled into an internet that serves corporations over communities. The digital realm, once a beacon of innovation and connectivity, has become a crowded marketplace where authentic human interaction is overshadowed by commercial interests.

Global web traffic is wasted on ads, bots, and misinformation. Half of our online experience is filled with noise designed to manipulate and distract us. Algorithms engineered for profit create echo chambers, reinforcing existing beliefs and isolating us from diverse perspectives. (DataProt: Internet Statistics 2023)

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

And if you’ve read this far, you probably already know that.

Up to 60% of all internet traffic is generated by bots, ranging from benign crawlers to malicious programs spreading disinformation and scams. (Imperva Bad Bot Report 2021)

Over 70% of web traffic is now ad-driven or tied to corporate marketing strategies, transforming the internet into a marketplace where users are not just consumers but the products themselves. (HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2022)

False information spreads six times faster than the truth on social media, fueled by algorithms that prioritize engagement over accuracy. (MIT Study on Fake News 2018)

81% of Americans feel they have little control over their personal data collected by companies, according to the Pew Research Center.

Our digital landscape is dominated by surveillance capitalism, a term coined by Shoshana Zuboff to describe how our personal data is commodified. Social media platforms and internet giants track our every move, building detailed profiles that predict and influence our behavior. We are offered convenience at the expense of privacy, and efficiency at the cost of autonomy.

Just as the inhabitants of The Matrix are oblivious to their enslavement, many of us wander the digital world, unaware of how much our experiences are shaped by external forces. Awareness is the first step toward liberation. Once we recognize the mechanisms at work, we can challenge them and seek more genuine, unmediated connections.

It’s time to ask: Are we content to remain plugged into a curated illusion, or are we ready to wake up and reclaim our digital reality?

---

wizzense

I define what wizzense means here.

Wizzense

The profound ability or capacity to understand, perceive, or know things intuitively or through acquired wisdom. It encompasses a deep, almost innate, sense of understanding that transcends mere knowledge, touching on the realms of insight, wisdom, and foresight.

---

I grew up on the internet when it was wild and untamed. Don't get me wrong, there definitely needs to be some taming to ensure that we maintain safety and security, but the wilderness to be explored was something magical. There were huge innovations and tools, and apps, and more ways to connect then ever! There was so much potential!

From the moment I wondered into my dad's office, as early as I can remember. I was about five years old, and I found the unattended, boxy off-white monitor and computer tower sitting on a small desk that I could barely see over. I figured out how to log on, how to use the mouse, clicked around, even opened files. I remember my parents staying up late one night struggling to set up a color printer (spoiler: nothing has changed, printers are still terrible) just to print a picture of colorful hot air balloon... which took forever and was ultimately underwhelming, but still just the best thing ever.

That magic is gone.

There was a time when the internet felt like uncharted territory—a vast digital landscape full of potential, exploration, and connection. It promised endless possibilities, a gateway to knowledge and community. But somewhere along the way, the path diverged. The once-open frontier has become a labyrinth, carefully constructed to keep us wandering endlessly, distracted and manipulated.

I too find myself ensnared in this maze, not immune to the allure of convenience offered by tech giants. My Amazon shopping history and integrations with Google are a testament to how seamlessly they’ve woven themselves into the fabric of my daily life. Packages arrive at my doorstep with a single click, playlists anticipate my mood, and newsfeeds adjust themselves to my perceived interests. It’s comfortable—almost too comfortable.

But behind this ease lies an unsettling truth. Every click, every like, every search is fed into an ever-growing profile—data points collected, analyzed, and sold to predict and influence my next move. Social media platforms have evolved into sophisticated machines, engineered to extract maximum attention and engagement. They exploit our psychological vulnerabilities in ways we scarcely understand. This phenomenon is explored in the documentary, The Social Dilemma, which delves into how social media manipulates users.

It's a subtle form of control, but once you see it, it’s impossible to unsee. These platforms no longer serve us—they use us. They've turned our online experiences into commodities, with our attention and personal information auctioned off to the highest bidder.

If not for professional obligations, I would have severed ties with them entirely. I’ve already begun the process, distancing myself from platforms that prioritize profit over people. And I know many of you feel the same—a growing unease, a sense that something essential has been lost.

---

Digital Gardens

Imagine the internet as a vast, untamed garden. In its early days, it was wild and chaotic, filled with potential but also disorder. Over time, weeds—misinformation, negativity, and manipulation—have overrun many parts, choking out the flowers of genuine connection and knowledge.

Gardens require care. They need to be tended, pruned, and nurtured to flourish. Our digital communities are no different. By actively cultivating these spaces, we can promote organic, healthy growth. This means creating environments where users feel empowered to share authentically, where respectful dialogue thrives, and where diverse perspectives are celebrated.

Neglecting this responsibility allows the weeds to take over, leaving us in spaces dominated by toxicity and disinformation. But with deliberate effort, we can reclaim these areas, planting seeds of positivity and nurturing them into strong, vibrant communities.

TLDR:

We have been the frogs in the pot while the water gets hot, but it's not too late to jump out.

I am sure that many people who find themselves here will think it's foolish, a dumb idea, or a waste of time.

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

– Henry Ford did not say this

But we have short memories and even shorter attention spans. It wasn't even that long ago where the free and open internet was under attack by the FCC, fueled by corporate lobbying. Luckily, we've managed to actually reverse course for the better, in a rare occurrence of events in government. However, we cannot leave the interpretation of our best interests in the hands of those in power. We can be proactive, engaged in our local, state, and federal politics to elect decent leaders that truly represent the will of the people who voted for them. We can even be optimistic that most people geniunely want to do good.

But I am not one to leave my fate into others hands.

It feels like we are rapidly accelerating into a post-truth/post-human-intelligence world where, very soon, nobody is going to be able to tell what is real anymore and what is AI-generated misinformation travelling at the speed of light directed by the algorithms designed to keep you distracted and plugged in.

I'm not willing to accept the internet as a tool for corporations to manipulate and monetize at the expense of our collective well-being. The free and open internet is what empowered me to flip the script on the likely trajectory that was my life and I want to keep it that way.

That’s why I’ve embarked on creating wizzense (a 'gardenweb' of sorts)—an initiative to build a genuine digital space free from all of this. This is more than a platform; it’s a philosophy. It’s about creating a place that’s genuinely ours, free from invasive algorithms and predatory data practices. A place where real connections can flourish, untainted by ulterior motives. By focusing on what truly matters—authenticity, privacy, and meaningful interaction—we can restore the internet to its original promise.

We can share and post and see it when we see it and your feed isn't dictated by an algorithm and the people you interact with are proven to be trusted and genuine and not a bot.

Thanks for reading.

Now unplug.

---

After-word:

I started writing this article before this video came out and I finished writing it while listening to this until 1 AM.

I highly recommend watching this as it goes very in-depth on a lot of the things I am going to talk about here and in the future.

---

Sources:

Imperva Bad Bot Report 2024

https://www.imperva.com/resources/resource-library/reports/2024-bad-bot-report/

The 2024 Imperva Threat Research report reveals that almost 50% of internet traffic comes from non-human sources.

HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2022