HN doesn’t optimize for addictive. Fortnite and wow do. No opinion on NFL, but they probably do at least somewhat.

> The echo chamber bubble on the other hand, seems quite unique.

More specifically: using "engagement" as the metric to optimize.

Users' use of content is measured: how long do they watch it? Do they leave a comment? Do they give a "like"? Based on that, the algorithm finds similar content that will elicit an even stronger response.

Every action you take on modern social media is giving information to your drug dealer so they can make the next hit even better. But not better for you; better for the social media, who make money from ads.

The continuously adaptive nature of the input stream as a basis for keeping users' eyeballs leashed to ads is what separates FB, Tiktok, Instagram, and Youtube from the more benign, but still addictive alternatives (HN, Fortnite, WoW, NFL, Reddit).

I wonder if your KPI is no. of active users, page views, etc - then you are a priori building an addictive thing.

Hacker News has plenty of its own echo chamber, no different to any other social environment.

> The echo chamber bubble on the other hand, seems quite unique.

At least you can now choose your bubble and even listen to your own echo. That beats having the government beam their psychosis straight into everybody's brain by TV, radio and newspapers.

That makes the whole society an "echo chamber" of whatever the rulers have on their current agenda. And not just on your devices, but all the people you meet in real life.

> Hackernews is also addictive.

False. It is good, no more addictive than a spoon.