At this stage, the platforms stop being just “tech companies” and become something bigger: media empires that dictate the flow of information, attention, and even reality itself.
- They control what news people see.
- They determine what content gets engagement.
- They shape political narratives.
- They decide what voices get amplified or silenced.
This is the paradox of social media. Every platform starts with a mission. Every platform ends with a monopoly.
The cycle keeps repeating because these platforms are not just businesses anymore—they are infrastructure. They are more powerful than traditional media, more influential than governments, and more entrenched in daily life than most people realize.
