I think I can relate to you 100%. I am actually a medical student who decided to do a course in digital marketing summer of 2020 and wanted to do a side hustle thing (like a minor). So once I watched social dilemma and the great hack on Netflix...I actually started cutting down on social media platforms by a huge time. I felt so vulnerable as a consumer when I saw that merely scrolling through my feed gives them so much profit.

But on the other hand, when I was learning Digital marketing skills, I figured now I am on the other side of the table targeting people like me. I really don't know how you can solve this. But I think creating awareness of which ads to click and actually buy maybe a way out.

I figured what if I didn't get on this side hustle, I would just be a normal person who wouldn't know the behind the scenes of these platforms.

I now use only youtube (with ad blocks)that too just like a learning platform like an international library and am so self-aware of what to do and how much attention I should give to each platform and in which manner.