It's not about addiction. It's about providing value. >The focus shifted from “authenticity” to “daily active users.” It's more like limiting themselves to ju

It's not about addiction. It's about providing value. >The focus shifted from “authenticity” to “daily active users.” It's more like limiting themselves to just sharing a single photo per day is limiting to how much value they can provide users and advertisers. >Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and X aren't neutral tools. They're carefully crafted slot machines engineered to get you hooked. Pull to refresh. Tap to like. Scroll forever. Random rewards. Notifications timed to spike your cortisol. The same behavioral loops that addict gamblers now hook children and adults alike. This is quite a stretch. Users finding immense value is not the same as addiction. >Subscription models, cooperatives, or public funding could prioritize user wellbeing over engagement metrics. Even if YouTube forced people to have premium they would still optimize for engagement. Loading up the home page and getting terrible recommendations is a terrible experience. Finding the best content for user provides the most value. >Instead of measuring daily active users and time-on-platform, what if platforms were evaluated on user wellbeing, relationship quality, or real-world connections facilitated? What if we measured social platforms like we measure hospitals? Feel free to use those metrics if you want, but most people will continue to use the apps that provide them the most value.