Instead of asking whether or not a platform optimizes for engagement, it can be more helpful to ask how explicit or implicit these engagement signals are, and provide users with more controls to allow them to tweak their online experience.
I think success will be creating a vibrant community, particularly of creators, because I do think this sort of public space is really, even more than most other types of social networks, a place where a small number of people produce most of the content that most everyone consumes. So I think it’s really about creators more than it is about... See more
interesting comment by Adam Mosseri (head of instagram/threads) - Meta is clearly doubling down on a small percentage of large creators creating content to entertain the masses. This is entertainment media, not social media.