Its like a drug. The highs are the highest, the lows are the lowest; and it seems the only way to win it is to not play.

"...it feels so fake and so capitalist."

Is there some genuine, socialist Internet somewhere?

I've been feeling this way too. I'd rather spend more time outside being active than behind a computer for my whole life - my job, my hobbies.

Alas, I have to pay the bills, and I'm a long way until retirement. And my hobbies support my professional development.

Get a big stuffed fabric-covered rocking chair (preferably of a dark color), a tall reading lamp, and a multi-layer bookshelf. Place all in the quietest corner of the quietest room of your living space. Visit your local Half-Price Books store and buy a copy of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Put the Britannica on the shelves next to the chair with the reading lamp behind. Keep the rest of the room dimly-lit (and perhaps play some classical music).

If you have a question, try to use the encyclopedia before you log on.

The internet is still a great place for learning new things.....but man it is difficult to stay on track with all the distractions and small dopamine hits available a key stroke away.

For this reason I often turn to books and tinkering without using a phone or computer.

The internet is like a militarised zone now. Joining a new website feels like going through airport security and being on the modern web feels like being stuck in an economy seat on a budget airline.

I had been using ai since gpt3.5 and after so many years of bullshit I am also sick and tired of everything related to it. First ai push at work was dumb, now i feel like second push is coming and I do not want to go through slop again. Internet being full of it does not help.

The computer + the internet is the worlds greatest fidget spinner. How many times have you wanted to "quickly" check Wikipedia, e.g. reading up on a random town then find yourself down a 2 hour deep wikihole reading about plants, plate tectonics, and slavery. Hours and days lost to it.

What people need to do is plan out their time usage better, especially neurodivergent people who fall into these traps much easier (Hi.) I used to wake up on weekends, sit at my computer and burn down my morning and afternoon on it. I would regret it at times so I changed the habit: no computer in the morning. Make my bed. Put on coffee. Feed the cat. Eat something. Shower and groom. Get dressed and maybe go for a walk around the block. At that point I have little desire to burn a day looking at a screen.

Make a new morning routine. Start by making your bed (it's a building block, wax on/wax off.) If I want to use the computer I make a time slot and set a timer so I don't get lost. I then set other goals including going for walks, do some shopping. Exercise is another step, just basic stuff you can do at home in addition to walking like push-ups, sit-ups and so on. You can even buy a set of dumbbells/kettle-bells and make a little workout routine. Not to get swole but fit and energetic. That helps a lot as being sedentary leaves you with little energy and isn't good for your mental health either.

We cant avoid all the capitalistic push but we can avoid it as much as possible. Build new habits. Make new plans. Set new goals to curb screen time. It's easier than you think as you don't need to do everything at once, maybe just start making your bed and set an internet timer. Go for a short walk around the block or whatever. If you fail to do your new routine, relax, just try again tomorrow. Baby steps. Rome wasn't built in a day.