Smartphones enabled internet addiction to reach the masses. Previously it only engaged those who had the patience and wits to maintain a PC and sit down at a de

Smartphones enabled internet addiction to reach the masses. Previously it only engaged those who had the patience and wits to maintain a PC and sit down at a desk to read and write on the internet. As long as the professional and volunteer skills to invest in a "wild" project are transferrable to that of a centralized platform, creators will gravitate to the side that has more users and can pay them more and consumers will gravitate toward the one that is easier to access and worth the according cost of entry (oftentimes free). This isn't a unique phenomenon. Look at video games. When any subculture/industry goes mainstream you don't see it preserving the thriving ecosystem of before and just adding on a synergistic mainstream bloc. Rather, the mainstream bloc cannibalizes and leaves dwindling ghost towns. That's the price of attention competition and opportunity cost.