Yes, it kind of is hypocritical to ask this on a social media platform, but what do you guys get out of it?
It’s very human to want interaction with other humans, we’re a social species.
In the case of social media the protocol is a little different than in 1-1 interactions. Everyone broadcasts their thoughts, and reacts to the thoughts of others, also in the form of a broadcast. It’s no more or less valid than other communications contexts. And not new either, technology just made it more efficient and available to everyone.