Social media has equated the worth of people to how much Attention they can collect (quantified via upvotes/clicks/likes).

Its like ecologists saying we will protect and promote the plants in the jungle based on their popularity.

The have over valued one particular form of attention and devalued all the other types. So if you want to think about future platforms be aware of the different types of Attention and how its being allocated. Broadly there are 2 kinds -

1. Attention we pay to things - this attention here gets further divided into Entertainment/meeting short term goals/meeting long term goals. Its important people (esp kids) get signals on how much of their attention is going towards each piece.

2. Attention we receive - attention here gets divided into (1) baseline attention requirement every single person has that is tied to their self esteem (kids who dont get this baseline early on have issues later on) (2) attention we receive from larger groups (social media has only focused on this category and thats its primary flaw)

Social media connects teens but may break their spirit. A new Pew Research survey reveals 48% of U.S. teens believe social media harms their generation – a sharp rise from 32% in 2022.