I think it cannot be good for society, but regulation is tricky and I don't have any silver bullet solution to offer. Maybe some smart people will find a solution eventually. Though on the question of an alternative to ads as a source of income, I like the idea of partly subsidizing press through public library subscriptions.
However, while this "library model" already exists for paid online press, I absolutely don't see it working for social media like TikTok, Twitter, Reddit, etc. (but maybe it's just a lack of imagination from my part).
It’s part of the definition of “ a market”. With any demand there needs to be a supply and healthy competition/(or consumer choice) is part of maintaining a healthy market. The opposite of competition in a market is a “monopoly” which is often bad for consumers.
