Our digital pasts weren’t supposed to be weaponized like this

The internet is a fossil machine. It preserves our thoughts, our political positions, our jokes, our photos, our triumphs and our mistakes in silicon amber, just waiting to be dug up. And that has led to a kind of modern sport: Find an outrageous piece of a person’s past that can be weaponized, put it on display for all to see and hope for the worst.

The most surprising thing, though, is that this is still happening. Our digital pasts were supposed to humanize us, not further polarize us.