Dead internet theory is basically the idea that most of the internet isn't real people anymore, just bots and AI posting content and interacting with each other. It started out as a conspiracy theory on online forums around 2021, with people claiming the internet "died" sometime around 2016 and has been mostly fake since. At first most people brushed it off, but it's gotten taken more seriously now that AI makes it so easy to churn out posts, images, and comments. The Wikipedia page mentions stuff like AI-generated images going viral on Facebook as an example of how much bot content is out there now. So even if the internet isn't totally "dead," the theory is getting harder to fully dismiss.

Honestly the donkey thing made me laugh, because it's kind of genius. The police can't really do anything without looking ridiculous, so the protesters basically win either way. What stuck with me is that the donkey has no clue what it's doing, but the message still gets out and nobody gets caught. It made me think about how bots work the same way, where the people behind them can hide while the bot takes the heat. I'm just not sure that should let the person off the hook, since someone still had to paint the sign.

It's also interesting to point out the differences between Bentham and Mills idea. Bentham believed that all pleasure count as the same and can be measured, whereas Mill thought that some pleasures like learning are much more impactful and worth your time. These two ideas say a lot about social media and how constantly scrolling and being entertained is still a pleasure, but far less meaningful than things like reading or playing an instrument.

I think this is very interesting because it was an idea I grew up with and was taught in school, sports, and by family, however, I rarely see it in social media. There are creators that will give there takes on certain topics and respond to comments, without judging or having bias toward them, but I don't see it often. A lot of influencers/creators will share there opinions and take any comments that disagree with them personally, and vice versa.