Psychological Effects of the “Dead Internet”

Erosion of Trust When you don’t know whether you’re talking to a person or a bot, you lose the basic trust that makes communication human. This leads to paranoia (“is this comment real?”), emotional withdrawal (less sharing, more doubt), and a loss of belonging.

Digital Gaslighting The internet “convinces” you that everyone thinks the same, that there are things you must know, that you’re alone if you think differently. If a thousand comments say the same thing, even if they’re all generated, you start doubting yourself. It’s a modern version of gaslighting: false content shapes your real opinions.

Emotional Emptiness and Anxiety Monotonous content causes saturation. You watch, read, scroll, but you don’t feel connected. There’s less joy, and more restlessness. It’s the classic digital trap: you consume more, but feel less.

Fragmentation of Identity When you’re constantly surrounded by content “designed to please you,” you lose touch with who you really are. You forget what genuinely interests you because the algorithm keeps offering what you’re supposed to like. You become a reflection of reflections.

Loneliness in the Crowd More and more people feel a deep sense of loneliness. Because interactions aren’t real, conversations lack depth, and no one truly listens. It’s like being trapped in a digital hallway full of echoes.

Loss of Orientation in Reality If the content you read is automated, fake news is presented as truth, and AI generates images, voices, people, and comments, you lose your sense of what’s real. And when you don’t know what’s real, you feel insecure, mentally drained, and out of control.

“Modern man feels himself to be alone, isolated, and deeply anxious in the world he has created.” — Erich Fromm, The Sane Society

Example of Potential Manipulation

In the digital era of the “dead internet,” political manipulation doesn’t come through visible campaigns, but through the silent work of bots and AI systems shaping our perception of reality.

When thousands of accounts appear online praising one candidate or attacking another, the average user perceives it as “the voice of the people” — even though the comments are generated, the profiles fake, and the emotions simulated.

This way, an artificial illusion of consensus or dissatisfaction is created, influencing undecided voters and discouraging participation in elections. Such tactics have been seen worldwide — from the U.S. and Brexit to India and Turkey — where bot networks were used to polarize, spread misinformation, and psychologically shape the masses. In such an environment, you can no longer tell whether you’re looking at political reality — or its algorithmic imitation.

Criticisms of the Theory

Every serious theory must withstand healthy criticism to maintain credibility. Here are the main critiques surrounding the “Dead Internet” idea:

Lack of Solid Evidence There is no public data that definitively proves most of the internet is “dead.” Much of what feels artificial is actually written by people — just automatically, by habit.

Humans Write Like Bots Instead of bots imitating humans, some argue that humans now imitate bots. Recycled headlines (“5 things you must know…”), Trend-based phrases, Template-like TikTok tone, Copied thoughts from Reddit or X.

The Theory Might Be More Metaphor Than Reality Many serious analysts accept that the Dead Internet Theory has symbolic value — it reflects the loss of meaning, spontaneity, and soul in what was once the digital agora.

Platforms Still Contain Real People Despite automation, billions of users still create content daily: Discord communities, Niche forums, YouTube comments, Independent blogs and newsletters.

Conclusion

— I saw a post this morning, it sounded really convincing. — Did you check who wrote it? — Well, no… it seemed real. — That’s exactly why you need to be careful. Online, reality easily becomes simulation. — So how do I know what to believe? — By learning to read between the lines.