The author reflects on what they initially perceived as internet and smartphone addiction, ultimately concluding they are actually addicted to information discovery. They describe how algorithmic recommendations and short-form content fail to deliver the meaningful, life-changing information they once found online, and express nostalgia for the exploratory internet of the past.
Instagram's head Adam Mosseri warned that disabling the platform's recommendation algorithm causes engagement to fall by up to 50% and satisfaction scores to decline significantly. However, critics note that Mosseri measures harm by engagement metrics rather than user wellbeing, while Australia's proposed Digital Duty of Care bill seeks to reduce engagement and time-on-platform as a public health measure.