This is the problem with modern social media in general. It’s no longer about being “social,” and all about trying to make a buck. Every time someone complains on Mastodon about their “engagement,” my eyes roll.
Fortunately, corporate social media seems eager to cut its own throat: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/elon-musk-twitter-mark-zuckerberg-changes-facebook-social-media-tech-rcna89766
Absolutely no surprise there. When you keep the barrier to entry low and throw in an algorithm to increase “engagement” via outrage, the soup turns to poison quickly.
This is why every time someone says the Fediverse is “too confusing,” I just smile and nod. That attitude of petulant, lazy, self-imposed gatekeeping is what’s keeping the Fediverse a much nicer place to be.