As stated elsewhere in this thread, social media is about collecting your data. This includes what you like, what you hate, what makes you happy, who you love, who you look up to, etc...

Now, this can be used to set your(not you but the social media user, no need to be an addict) mood and thus your emotions. This is what advertisers use to target ads or design them.

Your "intellect", in the short therm, is heavily dependent on your mood and your emotions. By "intellect", I'm referring to how you interact to the environment. (E.g. a sad person would interact with other people differently than a person that just made a million dollars).

So, if social media has such a handle on your emotions they have a handle on your intellect (its manifestations, which is the only thing other people can perceive ).

I would say "that intellect" is vulnerable. Because it is not serving your best interests. Because it's been manipulated to make you want to buy a new car, for example.

PS: I know this is controversial opinion and a lot of people will hate it. But I do believe this is the case given my current understanding of machine learning capabilities and human cognition.

very interesting analysis

thats why these kids are leaving it, they are not blindly addicted to it... i think blindly addicted is a somewhat degrading euphemism as well the manipulation that occurs so someone can make ad revenue is one thing, the attack on the wetware is another look at present POTUS

You are ignoring that for many others it's a platform that they rely on for communications. Quitting Facebook was easy in my circle, but I still have people who message me through Instagram. Network effect is often not negligible.

They message you on Instagram because they can..

I don't disagree with that but you gotta' realise that some people only use Instagram and Facebook for their communications, so I can't get them to WhatsApp, SMS, or email me.