Why Modern Web is So Heavy?

Not only me but everyone who surfs through modern websites, especially old peoples must noticed that most websites they browse are heavy nowadays, even though it’s actual purpose is very simple. This issues can be easily/instantly noticed on machine running on older hardware and low ram. In such scenarios, these sites are enough to freeze the browser or computer of user.

So many people just end up in a conclusion that, the issue is their browser, processor, ram, or just network issues. But no. No matter which browser they use (chrome, safari, or Firefox), what happening is not an issue occurred on the rendering process but how the websites itself is made.

Heavy JavaScript Usage

On older days developers used pure HTML for building web pages and CSS for designing. Only used JavaScript when essential like a feature or button needs it. We can say it like 80% of HTML, 10% of CSS, then only a 10% of JavaScript.

But nowadays, in most websites JavaScript is heavily used for ad/tracking purposes, fingerprinting, AI/automated process configuration, server side feature implementations, etc. So every time you load a website, even a very simple recipe website your browser is loading too much of unnecessary scripts behind the reason. this is the primary reason of heavy websites.

Large Images

Instead of using a optimized, compressed images, many are just using high quality, animated flashy images to design websites. This is not free or non-resource hungry.

For loading those flash animated figure, load large images browser have to do too much process behind the back with will lead to a heavy RAM usage and bandwidth consumption.

Advertisement/Tracking/Analytics

Nowadays, even though a website is worked or not, we can say most websites absolutely contain trackers and ads. Every time you are loading websites in chrome, edge, etc. without a content or ad-blocker, you are not loading the only needed resources for website functioning but also may dynamic ad configs and scripts.

This also eat up a decent amount of resources from your RAM.

Too Many Extensions

Do you have 10+ extensions installed on your browser for productivity, functionality, and clean web experience. Then understand that, each of those extensions needs your RAM to run along with you when you are surfing though each website.

Some extensions are specifically designed to run on certain websites, like Reddit related extensions only runs on Reddit. But some others like ad/tracker blocker, threat blocking extensions, password managers, etc. are running on every website and looking for threats.

The solution is to reduce the number of extensions installed, you don’t need every extensions you have installed.

For example,

  • DuckDuckGo Tracking Protection, Privacy Badger, Decentraleyes, Adblocker, Adblocker for YouTube, etc.
    • Can be replaced with uBlock Origin or Adguard.
  • Hide YouTube Shorts, Hide Membership Videos, Hide Homepage, Hide Distractions for YouTube, etc.
    • Can be replaced with Unhook, UnTrap for YouTube, or YouTube Tweaks.

AI Slop

Nowadays AI is everywhere and also in the websites you actively using, extensions, operating systems, also in browsers itself.

AI consumes a lot of electricity and water for processing, an now it is here for you RAM and resources too.

The only solution is avoid AI as much as possible. Try alternatives that made by true human hands and support developers.

Some Solutions

The bloated web was never your fault as a normal user. It completely depends up on the developers mentality and end-goal. But as a user, there are many tools you can use to bypass such issues. Some of them are,

Switch Browser

Instead of using basic browsers like chrome, chromium, edge, etc. which have exactly built to comply with the bloat web, switch to powerful browsers.

  • Librewolf

    • Out of the box configured for privacy and filter unneeded bloat from web. A perfect daily driver for me.

  • Hardened Firefox

    • Still not private as Librewolf but good for casual use.
    • You can tweak everything yourself, or use trusted user scripts like Betterfox, phoenix, or Arkenfox.

  • Mullvad Browser

    • Users who need more than Librewolf does, extreme fingerprint and bloat prevention.

  • Ungoogled Chromium

    • Google stripped out version of chromium.
    • Much more powerful and customizable browser.
    • Can install chrome web store extensions via the help of a extension called chromium-web-store.

  • Brave-Origin

    • A debloated version of brave with all protections and features brave have without bloat.

It’s Brave Origin and not Brave. Brave have AI and Crypto features bundled in.

Extensions

  • NoScript
    • Gives much more control over scripts you run on a website.
    • You can block all scripts and individually allow each scripts, which will help you to block unnecessary functionalities on a website even before it’s getting loaded.
  • Auto Tab Discard
    • Automatically detect that most RAM consuming tab in background and put that to sleep for saving resources and memory.