[idiotsecant]

I can consume an order of magnitude more diverse and interesting media than I could without the internet. I can order exactly the right thing from the internet instead of making do with a kind-of solution from the store.

I think you're remembering what it was like pre-internet with rose-colored glasses.

The internet is great.

[moshmosh]

We definitely have more of everything data-related and have a much better idea of all the stuff we can buy. I'm skeptical how far that's actually moved the happiness and life-satisfaction needles, in general.

[EDIT] specifically, I think some of our "satisfaction" from this sort of consumption is itch-scratching generated by the possibility of doing it, in the same way that pre-Internet one rarely felt bothered by not knowing some piece of trivia, if no-one around happened to know either. Now it itches until someone looks it up, because you know you can find out quickly. Now if I'm not watching the best possible thing, for example, it itches, but I don't think it would have before. I think to some extent the level of choice available, aside from famously causing analysis-paralysis ("browsing Netflix" is famously an activity all its own, that may or may not end up in ever actually watching anything) also generates the very desire that it's satiating. I'm not sure I was actually less happy watching the best thing I could find at the video store, versus the best thing I can find on streaming services.

[idiotsecant]

I don't know about you, but for me having access to youtube means that I can do things like fix my car, learn about medieval hats, see what kinds of weird animals exist, etc.

These sorts of things improve my life immeasurably and definitely give me a sense of 'satisfaction' that I would not otherwise have been able to achieve paying someone to fix my car, watching a reality show on TLC, or going to the library and reading a book about ducks for the 50th time.