[nowherebeen]

> The app isn't making causing those thoughts, society is.

You are right in that the app isn't making it, but it is promoting it with their algorithm to maximize engagement.

[mavhc]

Their algorithm to maximize engagement automatically promotes what's popular. What's popular is a side effect of society and how human brains work.

Every supermarket magazine is doing the same thing, just they're not as good at it.

[nowherebeen]

> Their algorithm to maximize engagement automatically promotes what's popular.

No, their algorithm is maximizing conflict. There's no algorithm needed for what's popular. A 5 year old can write that algorithm. Go read up on research on what drives engagement on social media. Popular != maximum engagement.

[mavhc]

Conflict is popular, there's more comments when people disagree. It's a very unintelligent way to measure popularity, number of comments, number of views.

That's why the rest of the Facebook posts you see are "what was your favourite meal as a child?" etc with thousands of comments. The ones people think are phishing scams.