It makes sense if you consider the possibility that through the anonymity of analytics YT is optimizing it’s website to keep children glued to tablets/smartphones. When a user pauses, show them something else to watch, they might be bored and about to start playing roblox. Also, if they switch videos it gives you more views to give to your creators, and you can lead the next vid with an ad. Need to get more ads to those impressionable little eyes!
It's not mere possibility, it's reality. The service's incentives do not align with the users', they are pursuing engagement as opposed to utility. It is actually counterproductive to YouTube's bottom line for the content to be deep and meaningful, they make more money when it's fleeting and superficial. This is the natural outcome of the attention economy.
Ugh it makes me so sad to see glassy-eyed toddlers glued to their tablets. This has to have some kind of long term cognitive impact on their attention spans. We're basically doing an experiment on an entire generation by turning them into dopamine addicts with the attention span of a goldfish. I know my attention span and ability to focus has absolutely tanked in the last decade because of the modern internet.
