As I see it, the early web was 98-2003, at which point the forums sprang up like mushrooms, and the base of interactive web sites was established, the numerous early systems like php and mysql. Around 2012 Facebook hit peak adoption, Google was a verb, and the monopolies on social interaction were established. Web3 has been a vaporware promise for about 5 years. Web5, the bitcoin focused version, is already exploding with this site, Nostr, etc.

As I see it, the next stage depends on privacy being the default. Even normies are starting to get why it's not good to let people spy on you. Incredible. And peer to peer protocols, replacing platforms and silos.