I’ve noticed a pattern where once a subreddit or Lemmy community reaches a certain size, the front page becomes mostly memes, recycled jokes, and lowest common denominator content. Genuine discussion gets pushed out unless the community is extremely strictly moderated for it.
What do you think causes this shift? Is it inevitable with the upvote/downvote system rewarding quick, agreeable content over nuanced takes? Or are there platforms or moderation approaches that successfully scale discussion without turning into an echo chamber?
In order to maintain standards there has to be a barrier to entry. That might be a moderator or cost or complexity. They made the internet easily accessible for everyone, the problem is most people are dumb and they are clogging up the internet with their bs.
The peak of the internet was the 90s to 2010 before mobile phones and social media enshittified it.