I mean even HN employs that pattern (though not necessarily intentionally). Whenever you refresh the page you have a random reward in the form of gain/loss of karma or comment replies.
You're comparing a no-ads[0], slow-moving, text-based feed (that has a maximum number of content pieces on the main pages at any given time) designed around fostering a specific tech-related community to an infinite, doomscrolling, video-based brainwashing machine filled with ads, violence, fear-mongering, propaganda, and softcore pornography designed as a skinner box to maximize engagement and consumption. HN has plenty of problems, but it is not even remotely comparable to TikTok/IG/etc.
Does HN strategically push or withhold desirable content on each refresh in the most addictive way possible specifically to keep people refreshing the page and prevent them stopping?
I think intent matters for a lot here, as does who/what is pulling the levers. If popular content organically rises to the top because people like it that's not really a problem, but if content is artificially pushed to the top or hidden entirely to push an agenda that could be an issue.
[0] except the YC jobs ads