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The End of Links: A Glimpse into the Future of the Internet
Can you imagine an internet without links? It might sound strange, but it’s quickly becoming a reality.
Back in 2017, Facebook introduced a policy that drastically changed the way posts are viewed. If a post contains an external link, its exposure is reduced. This move was aimed at keeping users on Facebook’s platform rather than allowing them to jump to other websites. The result? Users now rarely post links, and some even place their real links in the comments, leaving the post itself almost like a mini ad with no way out.
This shift didn’t stop with Facebook. Other platforms like Twitter followed suit. They introduced features like threads and long-form posts to keep users engaged without clicking away.
Most platforms, like Twitter or even Medium even went as far as automatically converting links into preview images, to further discourage users from clicking through. Here is an example if I want to share a link to my new youtube channel:
