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"Making people click ads" is just applied computational sociology.

Which is a good thing, since the sociology we had before clickable ads was unequivocally less scientific and useful.

"good" and "sociology" are surely carrying a lot of weight in that statement. What does "good" mean applied in this context?

I'm not sure I see the connection to sociology though, do yo mean behavioral economics?

Advertising today is figuring out the preferences and behavioral patterns of different social groups. It's not based on economics, it's mostly stats and probability theory.

But the knowledge we gain is only about triggering the bad paths of human brain, like addiction, greed, FOMO, etc. And who is "we" anyway, this stuff isn't public.

No, because literally every business that exists wants to advertise. (And also organizations that aren't businesses, like NGO's and government agencies and non-profits.)

Well, advertising only stimulates consumption, to the detriment of our planet.

Also, it is a loudness war, that is a race to the bottom in various ways.

As an individual business owner you want it, as society you don't.

That's like saying "money only stimulates consumption and causes pollution".

Technically it is true, but good luck on your crusade of abolishing money.

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