I was an irc and messaging addict, and early online games (they were terrible).
It led me down a better path than what was in store.
There’s better content on YouTube than most universities. Matter fact as you may unless universities publish their videos for free there.
It matters if one has fueled their children with a thirst for knowledge instead of time wasting activities
... every system decays .. you were lucky to have it caught the internet at right time .. when by design it induced innovation and freedom ...
Over period , just like any other thing , it became more of means to control . For example , there are endless resources on youtube but now it also has an algorithm to push you into a rabbit hole - which means more polarization and finally a violent outbreak ..
The good news is - a new internet is being built right now .. #nostr ... this is where early adopters will find the same values (and vibes) that you got from irc :-)
