Sigh. I was using the Internet when it was still ARPANET, back in 1978, sending geophysical data from the field, to several universities & the U.S. Department of Energy. It wasn't easy, but it was convenient, & I communicated directly with other engineers & scientists. I tried to ignore the civilian Internet, when it arrived, but it took the Web to suck me in.
The only "social" media I use is LinkedIn, but under Microsoft, it's rapidly becoming useless! I don't care how many people "noticed" me, I don't want "invitations" from random people, & I'm sick & tired of Microsoft trying to suck me into answering important-looking questions! In short, I do my best to never get monetized!
I agree that there are still some useful Web-sites, but you have to really search for them. For those of us who collect Japanese Nihonto (swords), the Nihonto Message Board (
https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/) is a tightly-run site with an incredible amount of information! For those of us who train in martial arts, my own e-Budo (
https://e-budo.com) has more than 25 years of information!
I use multiple ad-blockers, pop-ups have to ask my permission, & I can't be tracked. I use an anti-virus/-malware/-ransomware software package you've never heard of (
https://www.sophos.com) that has protected me for a decade (Hint: their free trial will operate forever, even if they'd like you to buy it after 30 days).
Working around the Web's bullsh*t is possible, if you're willing to take the time & effort.