The digital world is not an addiction to be cured, but a new kind of place. As technology continues to reshape our lives, the old metaphors of control and withdrawal are becoming less useful. Instead, we need to recognize the internet—and soon, artificial intelligence—as a distinct realm with its own rules, customs, and realities.
The Limits of the “Addiction” Model
For over a decade, we’ve framed our relationship with the internet through the lens of addiction. This framework provides a comfortable diagnosis: dopamine hits, brain rewiring, and the need for digital detoxes. While there is truth to the compulsive nature of online behavior, this model ultimately falls short. It suggests a problem to be solved through abstinence, rather than a new landscape to be navigated.
The idea that we can simply “quit” the internet is a fantasy. Attempts to ban devices from schools or public spaces will fail; the technology is here to stay. The same will inevitably be true of AI. Resistance isn’t an option; adaptation is.
The Internet as a Place
The key to adapting is understanding that the internet is not just a tool, but a place. It’s not physical, but it’s no less real. For those who grew up online, the feeling of crossing into this realm is distinct: time shifts, the body fades, and another self emerges.
This “other self” is not an escape from reality, but a different kind of reality. The internet has its own geography, its own social structures, and its own forms of interaction. To navigate this place effectively, we must learn its language, not fight against its existence.
Why Fairy Tales?
If the internet is a new reality, then we need new ways to understand it. The old stories of control and purity won’t work. Instead, we need the wisdom of fairy tales: stories that acknowledge the darkness, the transformation, and the inevitable journey into the unknown.
Just as fairy tales teach us how to live with monsters and magic, we must learn how to live with the internet and AI. The digital world is not a threat to be vanquished, but a new frontier to be explored.
The internet isn’t a drug to be cured, but a place to adapt to. Fairy tales aren’t about escaping reality, but about surviving in worlds where the rules are different.
The future isn’t about escaping the digital realm, but about learning to live within it.
