Well first of all, the skillset needed to setup a website could be a massive barrier to entry to some people. But there are a lot of guides out there that can help you build one. I do have to add that some of them are better than others... building one from a bare Linux machine is what I think is the CHADEST and most BASED, but website builders like Wordpress and Square space will do the trick.
This website isn't as based, like I've seen people raw dogging nginx and serving pure html as their blog website. Regular people might see that as a limitation, but I only have admiration for those types of people. Personally, I'm running with Django and all that fancy JavaScript bloat on my site.
With the cheapest domain + cheapest VPS service, anyone can setup their own website and have anything on it. But why are people still clinging on like 3-4 social media websites and calling that the "Internet"? Stop that. Seriously. If you are computer literate enough to launch Steam and play games, you should heavily consider having a website on your own.
Big no really. My experience isn't that big when I had all this setup. Now I won't incriminate myself and tell employers how little experience I have with web development. But do know this: This wasn't taught in college. All experience I have I got it through the desire of having my own personal website.
If people wanted to share their thoughts to an audience, they will probably go to Twitter, or X (sure). If people wanted to brag their riches they will go to Facebook. If people wanted to brag their relationships, they will go to Instagram. Where does a personal website fit in all of this? I do not know!
I've never been a social media guy myself. I only used Facebook / Messenger academically. To get updates on classes and talk with my peers about projects. Beyond that? Nothing. I never browse my Facebook feed because honestly: Seeing all those updates from people forces me to compare myself with others. And I hate that, as much as I avoid that it almost always happens,
Social media always tend to bring my mood down, I do not know why. Don't get me wrong, I could scroll Reddit and YouTube for hours, maybe because what I see in those websites are so far from me that I do not compare myself to it. And I guess that is the root of it, I wanted to escape it all. I want my own space on the Internet just for me.
Here in my website, I am a sole presenter. I present to no one, and I receive neither compliment nor complaint. I like it that way.
Tell that to the average person and it's going to feel like you are talking to a wall. The average person does not care. You will look like a crazy person trust me. Social Media is free because you are the product!!! WHO CARES? Well, the knowledgeable people do, unfortunately majority of the people aren't so bright about this topic.
I'll be slowly building this website to eventually encompass most of my likes and be a tool to express my opinions and creativity. It will mostly stay lowkey. I do not plan to share the site to anybody. I'll be typing away to an audience of none. I don't think that's a bad thing. Our mind craves to express, it unwinds our thoughts, and we feel satisfied when it is shared, like a website.