the smoking / nicotine analogy is incredibly apt: * addictive * network / peer pressure effects * damaging (but insidiously only after long cumulative use)

the smoking / nicotine analogy is incredibly apt: * addictive * network / peer pressure effects * damaging (but insidiously only after long cumulative use) * poorly regulated even after the negative externalities became known * less developed (and even less regulated) markets the final "growth" act of the industry We can thus extrapolate that usage will only stop when governments start actively warning people (instead of tacitly approving and bankrolling with gratuitous advertisement when they maintain presence on the platforms and invite their citizens to engage there) Can we push the analogy towards a solution / better social media? There are various proto-alternatives in the fediverse space. But some look suspiciously like E-cigarettes. Maybe the only cure from (at least this type) of social networks is to just pull the plug. As long as the billions keep pouring in and financing this sick business model we'll never really have a proper exploration of possible healthy alternatives to online social media