I don't think people who say "For me YouTube recommendations are not toxic" actually get the point. Although I won't judge your opinions or preferences, the rea

I don't think people who say "For me YouTube recommendations are not toxic" actually get the point. Although I won't judge your opinions or preferences, the real issue with Youtube or any recommender system is the way it games your dopamine system. Studies have shown how the prospect of an unknown reward riles up users of social media platforms. Is this a bad thing? It might depend on who you ask. For someone like me, who has been through multiple addictions (cigarattes, drugs), I know that abusing dopamine affects quality of life, productivity and happiness in general. In that way, I think recommendation systems which optimize for higher engagement is toxic. I think there's value in having an AI do the heavy-lifting of choosing the right content for us. But, the AI's rewards should align with what I need, which is quality content tailored for me (whether or not it increases my engagement on that platform).