[qeternity]

> That they use them does not mean they derive value from them.

Yes it does, necessarily. This is basic biology, economics and self preservation. It may be temporal (i.e. good in short, bad in long) but nonetheless, people do not do things they do not value.

[bobwaycott]

> ... people do not do things they do not value.

They most certainly do. You are confusing doing X because one values doing X with doing X because they really want Y. Be it biology, economics, or (especially) self-preservation—among many other possible rationales—it does not follow that seeking any of those Ys means one values doing the X one believes necessary to get to the Y.

[toomim]

Exactly. It's called "revealed preferences" in economics: the theory that what humans value (their utility function) is revealed by their behavior -- what they choose to spend time on.