The internet runs on ads.
Ad companies pay for all the “free” popular social media we use. Ad companies dictate to social media what their clients want their ads to be associated with, not associated with, and drive media of all kinds to push inflammatory and click-bait content that drives engagement and views. It’s why you indirectly can’t swear, talk about suicide, drugs, death, or violence. Sure, you technically can unless ToS prohibits it, but if companies tell their ad hosts they don’t want to be associated with someone talking about guns, the content discussing guns gets fewer ads, fewer ads = less revenue, low-revenue gets pushed to the bottom.
So lowbrow political rage bait, science denialism, and fake conspiracies drives people to interact and then gets pushed to the top because it gets ad revenue. Content that delves into critical thought and requires introspection or contemplation languishes.
Ads are destroying society because stupid and rage sells views.
Interesting, I’ve never heard that phrase. Are you a native English speaker, or was that brought through another language? I’m reminded of how in Farsi, the liver is used in phrases that most other languages don’t use it for. Like, instead of calling someone you love your 'heart", you call them your “liver,” but it carries the same intent.
Oh yes, I hadn’t thought about that! Having something on your liver is an expression that’s native to the Dutch language (afaik).
Meaning something that’s annoying, bothering you, gnawing at your conscience, pissing you off,…