[pbhjpbhj]

A key difference is that YouTube/companies in part work to increase 'engagement' (which in turn encourages overuse, and encompasses the courting of addictive behaviors) even when it reduces utility.

The other parties want to maximise utility.

[dijksterhuis]

Do you not think drug dealers aim to "maximise engagement" too? It's not the drug's fault for the dealers actions. So how about we stop blaming an inanimate f----- object and work to find a solution to the problem.

In your schoolwork example I can come up with four potential solutions off the top of my head:

- Speak to the teacher about concerns and ask about other ways of doing what is required

- Speak to parents and ask them to help with the homework

- Buddy up with a friend and watch the required video with a friend to avoid falling down a rabbit hole

- Use software like youtube-dl to download the video locally, to avoid temptation of watching another video

Then we come back full circle to the parent comment. It's not the drug's fault. It's not the phone's fault. It's not some software instruction's fault.

Blaming and ascribing fault is only helpful in identifying the problem. After that, the question becomes what can I do about it that will helpful for me today? What is my solution for how this affects me?

i.e. learning to develop personal responsibility.