i think something similar happened with politics and spam texts full of transparently manipulative emotional appeals from both parties
now i feel vaguely bad that idgaf when i hear sad stories that ask for money or political action, but much better to feel vaguely bad on the meta level rather than object level bad each time?
part of me wonders if either / both of these phenomena were somehow intended to have this effect on people? because i don't think my emotional reaction to a deluge of negativity is particularly surprising or unusual?