Web 2.0 included cool stuff like Flash. The real culprit here is Google AdSense. A few sites made a ton of money, and then it became the entire business model for "new media" companies that in turn loaded up search results with SEO-optimized listicle garbage.
I'd argue the real culprit is the "maximize shareholder value" mantra. Nothing is off limits in the Excel-sheet optimization game and room for experimentation or creativity is often axed in favor of minimizing risk and extracting more pennies for the cash pile.
We'll break out of it eventually though. People are tiring of their walled technology gardens.
