The other side of this pendulum are affects worth mentioning as well-when we talk about the 'algorithmic platform', not long ago there was a discussion about Tumblr and it's recent decision to remove certain types of material: is the very nature of "optimizing for engagement" itself.

Someone came along and shared a tale of how his pre-teen daughter got addicted to blogs and content that promoted and encouraged anorexia on the platform targeted at her because of her likes, follows and interactions and eventually developed an eating disorder and serious anxiety issues. More than one person came along and commented along of how they've seen friends go into similar communities and come out a different person, often times for the worse, with several longstanding and previously healthy relationships irreparably damaged and in some cases wholesale destroyed when the platform optimized for engagement and sends innocent people down destructive rabbit holes.

The other side of the negative, controversial and divisive are the isolating, unhealthy, and dangerous to individuals susceptible to manipulation through plain jane ignorance/not knowing better when presented with material that might not be divisive because of trolls, bullies or agents of political avarice, but encourages destructive tendencies to the uninitiated or ill-equipped. All facilitated because 'the platform' rewards you for likes and shares.

I remember following rabbit holes as a teen but for some reason my natural tendency toward skepticism defended me from the crazier stuff. If anything contact with nutty sorts of conspiracy theories and cult ideologies just made me more of a skeptic. It seems that some people are more prone to getting sucked in.

Obligatory cautionary/curiousity-laden counterpoint to inquire if people are more prone to it now or if we as observers are exposed to more examples of the phenomenon taking place-thanks to social networks and the one-to-many nature of broadcasting our every thought out to the aether?