That 1995 article saying the internet would just be a fad still cracks me up

I was cleaning out my parents' basement last month and found a Newsweek piece from February 1995 where a guy named Clifford Stoll argued the internet would never replace shopping malls or newspapers. He literally said people would get bored of typing on screens. Fast forward 30 years and I just ordered my groceries from a phone while sitting on my couch. Has anyone else dug up old tech predictions that aged this badly?

2 comments

2 Comments

ray_webb63d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, I think it was actually 1995 but the Newsweek piece was called "Why the Web Won't Be Nirvana" and it was by a guy named Clifford Stoll, not a random reporter. I remember reading it years ago and he had some points about how online communities would never match real life friendships which, I mean, that part hasn't aged THAT badly honestly. But yeah, the shopping mall thing is hilarious in hindsight since most of the malls near me are half empty now.

the_seth3d ago

Are we really acting like that guy was totally wrong about everything? I mean yeah he missed the mark on the internet being a fad but half his points about online life being shallow and fake are still kinda true. People are more lonely now than ever before and scrolling through Instagram isn't exactly the same as hanging out with someone. Plus malls are half empty but now we just stare at phones instead of each other. So maybe he was right about the social stuff just not the whole internet dying thing.