The simplistic and beside the point claim is that this is all "we ourselves have become a resource to extract". This is both not new and not key, and more of a political rant.

Before smartphone there was TV and cable TV. Young people spent time in front of the TV but TV is passive and does not allow you to connect with others.

Old people spent their time in front of the TV, before that they spent time by the radio, etc.

The youngest boomers are in their 60s now (and people in their 70s are boomers) so not sure if your really mean "boomers"...

Yes, and they read books before radio was a thing, what's your point ?

Books are exactly the same as tiktok brainrot ? That's obviously not true

That tiktok is "active" hence it's objectively better than TV ? Why ? And through what mechanism ?