being "chronically online" really means you watch everything from the sidelines. what range of "everything" and how you perceive it depends on the folks you surround yourself with.
considering i follow a lot of independent artists/musicians, i've learned a lot about the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. specifically all the ways they fuck up.
you look at these multibillion dollar companies who only care about the bottom line fuck over artist after writer after actor after musician after creator, giving their customers an inferior experience…
and you feel more and more compelled to seek out actual quality elsewhere.
if there's a way to buy direct from the artist, do it.
if not, you're better off going out on the high seas and getting a better product for free, while The Corporate Behemoth™ is left to cope with the bullshit they've created.
piracy is completely justified.