I've been thinking about how recommendation engines are essentially eliminating the Hegelian dialectic from intellectual development. We're building systems that optimize for engagement at the expense of cognitive growth.

The most concerning part is how this affects knowledge evolution: when algorithms remove opposing viewpoints to maximize retention, they're fundamentally breaking the thesis-antithesis-synthesis process that drives human progress.

Some patterns I've observed:

Platforms systematically deprioritize content that creates cognitive dissonance

The removal of features like YouTube's video responses wasn't accidental—it was profitable

We're seeing the first potential generation that might be less intellectually capable than its predecessors

I explored this through the lens of Skinner's reinforcement theory, Rogers' therapeutic ideals, and Hegel's dialectics in a longer piece: [https://blog.thecodejedi.online/2025/10/the-algorithmic-cage...

Curious if other developers have noticed this tension between engagement metrics and intellectual diversity in their work.