The Internet Used to Be So Much Fun (What Happened?)

Are we still social—or just performing connection? In this episode of Ageless, Arik and Aurelia explore the growing tension between social media and real human connection. Aurelia introduces the phrase “social without the media,” naming how platforms have quietly turned interaction into self-performance, and how anxiety became the cost of visibility. Arik looks ahead to 2026, when Neptune and Pluto begin to crack the digital mirror, expose addictive patterns, algorithmic influence, and the illusion of online “social currency.” We talk about:     •    Why online visibility no longer equals real-world abundance     •    How algorithms shape culture, music, and identity     •    The quiet psychological impact of shadow banning     •    What starts to fail when digital systems stop reflecting us This isn’t a solution episode—it’s a pressure point. Aurelia closes with a simple experiment that sounds easy, but challenges everything we’ve outsourced to screens. 🎧 Listen if you’ve felt more connected—and more alone—at the same time.

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