It’s the same with commercial TV. You the viewer have always been the product, not the consumer!

What's scarier is that they customize it for you. It's not so much you choosing to see things you like, but you only being shown things you like. It is based on clicks so more controversial fear based clickbait gets more eyes and steers the public knowledge.

Theres some very interesting stuff out there about how the YouTube algorithms helped spread white supremacy and child pornography. You can be looking at something innocent and legit. The algorithm shows you things other people watched that watched that watched it, the more controversial the better because people watch longer. Real balanced info is boring and doesn't get clicks.
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I understand but It's understandable to want to seek out community in like minded people and follow news that interests you. That's why I'm here on this site in the first place.

For pete's sake! I do this on social media because I prefer factual news with limited bias, which one won't iften get from FaceBook (or Ag.com). I go to specific news outlets for that. I use social media for entertainment and set my filters accordingly. Otherwise, I get bombarded with name calling and all kinds of BS that has not been reviewed or fact checked at all.

It depends a bit on the degree, you are after all asked to select your feed preferences when you join this site. And it continues when you sign up for the 'I love cats' group rather than the 'Dog lovers', we all select all the time even before the web.

But having said that. When the first religious conman looked at his tribe sitting in the cave, and asked for extra food in exchange for appeasing the spirits, he told the greedy one that he could get extra food if he paid him to perform the fruit tree rite, and promised warm weather, to the one with poor circulation. So we have always been the product.