Hacker News Reader

You're comparing a no-ads[0], slow-moving, text-based feed (that has a maximum number of content pieces on the main pages at any given time) designed around fostering a specific tech-related community to an infinite, doomscrolling, video-based brainwashing machine filled with ads, violence, fear-mongering, propaganda, and softcore pornography designed as a skinner box to maximize engagement and consumption. HN has plenty of problems, but it is not even remotely comparable to TikTok/IG/etc.

[0] except the YC jobs ads

Does HN strategically push or withhold desirable content on each refresh in the most addictive way possible specifically to keep people refreshing the page and prevent them stopping?

I think intent matters for a lot here, as does who/what is pulling the levers. If popular content organically rises to the top because people like it that's not really a problem, but if content is artificially pushed to the top or hidden entirely to push an agenda that could be an issue.

It's pretty disingenuous to act like the two are similar. I also never weighed in on whether governments should ban such things or not.