Trying to figure out how to say this in a comment length way... there are some things that are missing, and some things we have lost along the way.
Short version — compared to 7-8 years ago — it feels like we have traded in the gamification of social media for the automation of social media.
I should kick in here that this is not entirely a "Hive problem;" it's also a broader problem... dank memes are preferred over actually reading something that might stimulate your brain.
That aside... I really miss the times of Asher's "Curation and Engagement Leagues" which was all about encouraging and stimulating manual interaction. Let's face it, a lot of people like seeing their name on a leaderboard, often just for the bragging rights, let alone for rewards.
Whatever happened to "Newbie Re(blog) Day?" And there was a group folks around 2018-19 who ran weekly contests/challenges for people who had less than 100HP (or 500HP).
I still sometimes sit and browse the "new posts" feed... which is a sad shadow of its former self... you just don't have 15-20 posts a minute to look at, any more...
Essentially — as you and @acidyo and others keep pointing out — we need to remember that "social" is about "the Internet of PEOPLE," not about AI, or automation, or bots.
Yes, I use autovoting, too... as a backstop when my voting power drops below 95% because I am busy and I don't like my stake sitting idle. But what makes things interesting is the human connection...
Better stop now...