No the internet can do that just fine, the twitterization of social media in to short quippy "bumper sicker" took the worst aspects of politics (sound bites and bumper stickers") and normalized that in to the "correct" way to debate or discuss topics.
Gone where the long form threaded topics of forums, usenet, etc, replaced with 180 characters quips
I will agree that twitter irrevocably has changed the online landscape. But I believe it's the ability to instantly transmit things that has pushed towards shorter and shorter content. For example Vine really took off, and now you have Tiktok/Instagram reels/etc. Not to mention Snapchat/Periscope.
It's a lot faster to digest and get a dopamine hit from a <140 char tweet (now <380 chars) than poring over a book, so the outcome of twitter was destined to happen.
Gone where the long form threaded topics of forums, usenet, etc, replaced with 180 characters quips