I think that your first example has much, much less value than we typically ascribe it. It would be far more beneficial if we (collectively) started to spend mo

I think that your first example has much, much less value than we typically ascribe it. It would be far more beneficial if we (collectively) started to spend more time talking to/interacting with our neighbors and local community. In terms of news that an algorithm realizes people find interesting — yeah, overwhelming the most “interesting” news is, if not outright fake or totally misleading, then highly incendiary. Regional issues have been covered for 100+ years by journalists in responsible and nuanced ways. Social media is not required and, I’d assert once more, actively harmful.