These are four facts to remember, and it’s easy to see how they compound and expand the issues:

We are hard wired to shift our focus to novel information above all else.

We live in a world where novel information is readily accessible in near-infinite amounts.

Bad actors and opportunists create and spread false or misleading information masquerading as trustworthy.

AIs present all (real and unreal) information to us in a very difficult to resist way.

Not only are these apps and websites addictive, but what they’re serving up isn’t even true. If it feels like your grasp on reality is weakening after reading social media, that’s because it is. Endless consumption without context is the opposite of learning.