I think you'd be surprised. It's not an "us vs them" situation, most of us have some frivolous outlet to go along with our real interests. I skim trashy magazines when they are around, and I watch the latest blockbusters each summer.

None of this stops me from also watching 'prestige television' or keeping up-to-date with current events. People like Jon Stewart and Jon Oliver have managed to bridge the divide between news and entertainment, and I don't see why social media should be any different.

> People like Jon Stewart and Jon Oliver have managed to bridge the divide between news and entertainment

I don't think those are good examples for escapades outside our bubbles, as they are decidedly left-leaning, with a left-leaning viewpoint on the issues they cover, and for mostly a left-leaning audience.

Fair point. I don't mean to say that these comedians help escape the content bubble. But at the very least their longevity (along with Colbert, whose ratings have actually improved as he has become more political) shows that you can provide something reasonably informative in a funny, unconventional package. I just don't buy the argument that large swaths of the population are only satiated by 'trash' like Real Housewives or FB clickbait and would never consume something more challenging if it were presented to them.

Agreed.

I would also add there are far better channels to get intellectually stimulating material than FB and their news feeds.

I've tried multiple times to try and set up my FB news feed to be more centered on technology and development news. Unless I was really diligent, it was just turn back into gossip and trash within a few months. I just gave up and sought out other avenues for this kind of news.

To what channel, exactly?

For a product change that massive and anti-user-desires, you're kidding yourself if you think there wouldn't be a million challengers ready to fill that role. Hell, it could be as simple as people using other successful social networks more (Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram), and they'd sure as hell capitalize on the void left by Facebook by introducing features that bring them closer to providing the activity Facebook was pushing away.

A Breitbart social network, maybe, if it has to come to that