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submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world

The internet runs on ads.

Ad companies pay for all the “free” popular social media we use. Ad companies dictate to social media what their clients want their ads to be associated with, not associated with, and drive media of all kinds to push inflammatory and click-bait content that drives engagement and views. It’s why you indirectly can’t swear, talk about suicide, drugs, death, or violence. Sure, you technically can unless ToS prohibits it, but if companies tell their ad hosts they don’t want to be associated with someone talking about guns, the content discussing guns gets fewer ads, fewer ads = less revenue, low-revenue gets pushed to the bottom.

So lowbrow political rage bait, science denialism, and fake conspiracies drives people to interact and then gets pushed to the top because it gets ad revenue. Content that delves into critical thought and requires introspection or contemplation languishes.

Ads are destroying society because stupid and rage sells views.

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[-] choui4@lemmy.zip 6 points 4 days ago

This is where we disagree. What are the fundemental tenants of capitalism vs say, communism?

(Just doing a thought experiment with you, in good faith)

[-] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Respectfully I am not willing to get into this debate. If communism worked, we’d be doing it. Unfortunately so far it seems to have incredibly weak protections against authoritarian takeover despite its overall egalitarian appeal.

E: triggered .ml?

[-] StupidBrotherInLaw@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

If communism worked, we’d be doing it.

Oh you sweet summer child.

Respectfully I am not willing to get into this debate.

And this is why you believe that. Head, meet sand.

Props for being polite about it though.

[-] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

The assumption that I lack knowledge of alternate economic and governing systems and left them unconsidered is as insulting as your smug confidence that any other system is immune to corruption and disparity.

[-] choui4@lemmy.zip 5 points 4 days ago

Double respectfully back, I have to agree with the other commentor. I dont think you have a good understanding of what communism is. Which is fine. Global North countries, at the behest of the powerful elite, have made it their life's mission to destroy communism (i wonder why). They do that while pushing Neo-Liberal ideas and agendas constantly (curioussssss).

In your post, you have identified a symptom of capitalism. Not the cause of societal failures.

Also, unlike saying "humans beings are naturally greedy" (which isnt true), capitalism as an economic system reinforces and rewards any greed fhat MIGHT appear in A VANISHINGLY SMALL amount of people (true sociopaths). Whereas, under communism or socialism, those sociapaths would not only be unrewarded, their entire ideology would be forsaken from establishing a foothold in power (please extrapolate to the rest of humanity).

That said, if you dont want to talk about it, its all good baby. Thanks for listening to my Ted talk.

(Btw, this was all in good faith. Genuinely not trying to mock or tesse you. Just being silly).

Lmk if you ever feel like talking more

[-] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 1 points 4 days ago

Do you think capitalism works? It very clearly works for some, but would you claim that it works in a broader sense?

this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
389 points (100.0% liked)

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