Early internet was about getting everybody online. Now that we are, many want to unplug.

The business model of social media platforms is incompatible with human flourishing. Their incentive is to keep us engaged with their platforms for as long as possible so they can sell our attention to advertisers. Thus they use algorithms to show us content that is designed to be addictive. They are not interested in helping us find the truth or connect with each other in meaningful ways. Yet few try to unplug, and fewer still succeed.

Although some chose a middle way, of not returning completely, but resorting to smaller communities of like-minded people.

2010s: bundling phase — get everyone online.

2020s: unbundling phase — get people into trusted communities.

As great as getting everyone online was, the end result is that they mostly just fight with each other. Not ideal for anyone involved.

– Last Contrarian

This is because key technologies are unbundling the mega platforms. Invite-only, encrypted chat platforms like Signal, and the technical ease with which you can now build your own, are ending the era of FAANG.

Other things being equal, the more widely dispersed key technologies are, the more widely dispersed power will be, and the smaller the optimum scale of government.

– James Dale Davidson

And there is one key technology to rule them all. Decentralized identity (read Urbit) will deprecate the unaligned social network, but probably the current version of invite-only, "trusted communities" like Poaster and private Signal groups too (unless they integrate). No need for trust if you can't be canceled.