How the Internet Evolved Differently Than Expected

In 1998, two of the most influential Black science fiction writers, Octavia Butler and Samuel Delany, sat down to discuss the future of literacy, digital identity, and the role of science fiction in shaping cultural debates. Their conversation, held at MIT’s Media in Transition conference, was filled with sharp insights, deep concerns, and—at times—some eerily prescient predictions about where the world was heading.

However, looking at the Internet in 2025, we see that many of their fears have not come true in the ways they expected. Instead, the digital landscape has evolved in paradoxical and often unexpected directions. While some of their warnings remain relevant, others have been reshaped by technological advancements and the sheer unpredictability of online culture.

One of Butler’s concerns was that the window of identity freedom on the internet would soon close, with users increasingly pressured to attach their real-world selves to their online presence. While this concern seemed reasonable in the early 2000s with the rise of Facebook’s real-name policy, today’s internet tells a more complicated story.

Rather than forcing everyone into a single verifiable identity, we now live in an era of identity fragmentation:

On platforms like Mastodon, Reddit, and 4chan, anonymity thrives. Users can assume entirely new identities, craft fictional personas, or even appropriate identities from other cultures.
On Facebook and LinkedIn, real-name policies dominate, creating an alternate sphere where digital identity is tightly controlled.
On Telegram and Discord, hybrid identities emerge, some users keep things personal, while others maintain complete anonymity within specific communities.

Butler’s prediction that “the freedom to be whoever we want online might be temporary” turned out to be both true and false. The real outcome is that identity has become more fluid, not disappearing, but mutating, shaped by different platforms, communities, and even personal choices. Ironically, today’s anonymity has even enabled problematic behaviors, such as white users adopting Black avatars and slang to create digital alter egos, leading to cultural appropriation in new and unexpected ways.

Delany wondered whether the internet would become a free and open space for knowledge exchange or a controlled information platform. The reality in 2025? Both happened, simultaneously.

In China, the internet is a fully controlled ecosystem, where the government dictates information flow, censors discussions, and even rewrites history in real time.
In the decentralized web, platforms like crypto-based social networks, peer-to-peer forums, and blockchain-driven publishing are creating entirely free-flowing spaces where no single entity has control.

These two internets coexist, serving as mirror images of two competing digital philosophies. Some users demand complete freedom, while others accept controlled environments in exchange for stability, security, and regulation. Butler and Delany worried about a singular fate for the internet, but the actual outcome has been a parallel existence of controlled and uncontrolled spaces, forcing users to navigate both realities based on their access, privileges, and choices.

In 1998, Butler observed that comics and video games were becoming simpler, favoring action and spectacle over deep narratives and complex storytelling. She worried that media was being dumbed down to cater to shorter attention spans. However, modern gaming has defied that expectation. Today’s games are not only visually overwhelming but also narratively and mechanically complex.

Graphical fidelity has skyrocketed, pushing GPUs to their limits and forcing players to upgrade hardware just to keep up. (DLSS…)
Game narratives have become deeper and more expansive, as seen in The Last of Us Part II, Cyberpunk 2077, and Baldur’s Gate 3, which feature moral ambiguity, intricate world-building, and dynamic storytelling.
Indie games have revived experimental storytelling, proving that complexity still thrives in gaming culture.

While it’s true that mobile games and mass-market titles often prioritize accessibility, games as a whole have moved towards excess, not minimalism. Instead of being dumbed down, they’ve overloaded players with more mechanics, more choices, and more intricate worlds.

What Did Butler & Delany Get Right (and Wrong)?

1998 Concern	2025 Reality
Hyperlinks will reduce deep reading	Hyperlinks have led to a culture of deconstruction and irony rather than simply “shallower” interaction.
Online anonymity will disappear	Anonymity remains strong, but identity fragmentation has created new cultural dynamics.
The internet will either be free or controlled	Both exist, with centralized platforms coexisting with decentralized alternatives.
Media is becoming too simple	Gaming and media have grown in complexity, pushing technology and storytelling further.