[imiric]

The problem is not just with the addiction, and it doesn't affect only teenagers.

These systems show paid content mixed with user-generated content, promoting harmful advertisements, political propaganda, or any other ideology anyone with enough resources and desire to influence large segments of society is able to take advantage of.

Let's not forget the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and not doubt that there are _many_ more such companies operating without public knowledge. This is all done legally, and within the terms of service.

This is even without mentioning the rampant data siphoning and shady multi-billion dollar data markets that exist in the background, that generate most of their revenue. After all, all this technology and optimization is serving this end goal.

These platforms are not just harmful to individuals, but to society as a whole. I hope one day governments catch up to the harms they're doing, and regulate them just as they did for Big Tobacco and many other truly evil industries.

[MattDemers]

>I hope one day governments catch up to the harms they're doing, and regulate them just as they did for Big Tobacco and many other truly evil industries.

But how does that happen when our government officials (at least in North America) seem technologically illiterate, and rely on Silicon Valley for their re-elections and donations (therefore becoming more susceptible to lobbying)?