Part 7/17:
Today, giants like Meta reported revenues nearing $135 billion in 2023—almost entirely from advertising. Amazon similarly prioritizes sponsored listings over organic search results. The core incentive for these platforms is keeping users hooked for as long as possible, as attention equals revenue. To achieve this, algorithms favor clickbait, outrage, and sensationalism—forming the basis of rage bait and AI-generated "content" designed to stoke strong emotional reactions and foster endless scrolling.