Honestly a lot of platforms feel like they crossed the line from “messy public square” into straight-up engagement sludge. Ragebait, spam bots, scams, porn replies, stolen clips, outrage farming, fake accounts, constant algorithm baiting. It gets exhausting after a while.
And the frustrating part is it often feels less like the platforms can’t control it and more like they tolerate it because chaos still drives activity. The angrier or more shocked people are, the longer they stay scrolling.
I’ve noticed my mental health genuinely improves when I spend less time on feeds built around outrage algorithms. After a certain point it stops feeling social and starts feeling like psychological pollution.