> Optimizing for monetization seems to degrade quality most of the time.
True, but it is also natural. The vast majority of businesses optimize for profit (the publically traded ones are even obliged to do so).
I agree a profit maximization motive doesn't lead to an absolute global maximum of quality, but it still generally leads to quality nevertheless.
Optimizing for monetization seems to degrade quality most of the time. E.g. click bait video names/thumbnails that do not tell the viewer what they are about to watch. Or reducing the feature set of apps so no casual user is confused, but advanced users are left behind. Or stretching video lengths to improve ad income without actually adding any valuable content. ...