"Even boosters now seem to implicitly accept the assumption (accurate or not) that the internet is the root of multiple woes, from increasing political polarization to the mass diffusion of misinformation."

I certainly don't accept that the Internet is the root of increasing political polarization. It's nothing new. Ever heard of the Nika Riots? Polarization is a story as old as time, Internet or no Internet.

On the other hand, top-down culture is breaking down on account of the Internet. How many people watch the CBS Evening News anymore? There was, in the minds of American "thought leaders", a sort of cultural consensus. It doesn't exist anymore, never mind that it was probably always more myth than reality. The facade is being shattered, and a lot of folks are running scared, blaming the newest technology for their woes.

There are ways out of the crises we face, but neither blaming the Internet for our problems nor treating it as a panacea is one of them.