[UltimateEdge]

Could you name the site you are talking about?

One observation I have made about sites with a list of images/videos to view is that it is sometimes easy to succumb to visiting the site only to look at 'mindless' media (memes, sexually suggestive material, etc). At least for me, this seems to be the case no matter the ranking algorithm or user interface (no infinite scroll, etc) used by the site.

I have not found Hacker News to be this way. It is both easier to stop scrolling, and I have to exert at least some mental effort to read the news links and comments.

[wruza]

Not a comfortable disclosure, but it matches your observation. That’s what I expect from a pics and gifs site. Tags allow me to filter out material I find repulsive or boring (specific comic authors, topics, memes, “big …”, onlyfans bs, politics). Serious sites don’t do tag filters, they are either non-profit or all business with ads and tracking. I’d filter 98% of the internet if I could.