alt Hacker NewsYep but there are strange undesirable characteristics that are being selected. Some of which we don't fully understand.
For example, it is my personal belief that there is a selection mechanism for high suggestibility (by social media and search algorithms which can monetize it). Basically suggestible people are helped in their careers because they act like a money pipeline which redirects money they 'earn' back to social media companies. Social media companies might be thinking of people as straight money pipes leading outward vs bendable pipes potentially leading back towards themselves. Which kind of pipe would they select to pump money through?
This has a side effect of creating strong social alignment over bad ideas. If you empower suggestible people to make decisions, then whoever is above them can bend them in any direction they want.
Suggestible people follow instructions and (sometimes) take fewer risks. It is simply infeasible to logically convince people of every single thing that they ought to know. I hate to infantilize people in this way, but even the most capable and inquisitive minds among us cannot reasonably investigate everything.
People socially align over a lot of things, not just ideas. They develop shared tastes and preferences.
Even very undesirable characteristics such as sociopathy have a function in society. It is sometimes necessary to emotionally detach oneself from situations to make the right decisions. These are not good for every role, but they are primitive survival mechanisms and still have a useful function in keeping the peace.