[nullc]

I have to protest the assumption that if people are spending time on it is what they want.

It can be and often is what people fear-- what they DON'T want. It's a pretty good survival technique, in general, to pay attention to things that threaten you.

Companies monetize this human tendency, same as any other.

Playing on people's wants may waste their time or make them dull, but playing on their fears also harms them by producing constant stress.