Before Web 2.0, the internet was a free space. Users build and consume content. Like blogs encouraged user to upload their experiences and thoughts. Users edited their own HTML, added GIFs, and embedded music players.
Fast‑forward to today, the internet involves no posting, no commenting, barely a double‑tap to prove I’m awake. The algorithm of the recommendation already knows what the user enjoys watching. I can doom‑scroll for an hour and leave no footprint except the data points the system silently adds to my profile.
That jump from “all you can eat” to “being served” is a big change in how we use the internet. Early social platforms handed us toolkits: profile editors, blog engines, and Photoshop. They begged for participation because user‑generated content was the fuel that made communities vibrant. Interaction designers focused more on the experience of a user uploading an image.
Today’s platforms want everything to be smooth and easy. Autoplay, infinite scroll, and one‑thumb gestures ensure you’ll never hit a dead end. Creation is still possible, but it’s tucked behind a plus‑button and a dozen optional effects panels, easy enough to use, yet no longer the default path.