If Darwin published his theory of natural selection today, the tweet announcing it would be deprioritized because it contained a link, and instead Twitter would show you wisecracks that fit in 280 characters.
Our feeds are designed to “prod the would-be attender ever onward from one monetizable object to the next,” he writes. This has had a deadening effect on all kinds of culture, from Marvel blockbusters that optimize for attention minute to minute, to automated Spotify recommendations that push one similar song after another.